Scottish Catholic Observer

Mary Jackson (above) was the face on the collection box the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) distributed to schools and parishes throughout Scotland. £3.4 million was raised by the campaign, thanks in part to matched funding by the UK Department for International Development. During her visit, Ms Jackson spoke to pupils at schools including St Aloysius in Glasgow and Lochyside Primary School in Fort William, and met a number of politicians at the Scottish Parliament including Deputy First Minister John Swinney.

Mrs Jackson is a farmer in Chipolomba village in Malawi. Before being helped by SCIAF she struggled to feed her children, but after being taught new farming techniques and introduced to new seeds and crops she is now able to give her children a proper meal and has even set-up a  profitable business. She took some time out from her time in Scotland to visit the SCO offices, and spoke about the help she had received thanks to fundraising from Scottish parishioners and pupils.

When a child, she said, her parents were unable to send her to school because of schools fees and costs for school uniforms but now she is able to give her children the education she couldn’t get.

“Before joining SCIAF I was getting one meal a day,” she said, speaking through an interpreter. “I was happy [to be featured on the Wee Box] because I’ll be seen in various countries and… through that wee box we will gain some funding to support other countries as well.”

SCIAF often refer to their work as giving ‘a hand up, not a hand out,’ and it’s an attitude Mrs Jackson supports. SCIAF don’t just give out relief items, she said, and instead teach people to make more with what they are given.

“To me knowledge is more powerful,” she said. “SCIAF and Malawi are doing something so we can be self-reliant.”

That self-reliant position is something she hopes the rest of the world will pick up on. “Malawi is well known as a poor country but despite being a poor country we have natural resources which can help us to improve,” she said. “We have good soils, a lot of resources… we have more knowledge to improve so through SCIAF we can do something good to improve ourselves.”

Mrs Jackson, a Christian herself, said the Christian churches, through ecumenical work, do a lot do help her country.

“The Catholic commission has assisted a lot in Malawi,” she said.

Alistair Dutton, SCIAF’s director, said Mrs Jackson was an inspirational woman and that he was sure Scotland’s schools and parishes would be excited to hear how their support has made a huge difference to Mary’s life.

PIC: ANTHONY MACMILLAN

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—This story ran in full in the Sept 25 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.