BY Daniel Harkins | January 22 | 
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St Margaret’s Malawi refuge centre project gets cash boost from St Bartholomew’s parishioners
Kind-hearted parishioners from St Bartholomew’s Parish in Coatbridge donated over £700 to an Airdrie high school’s project to build a female refuge centre in Mulanje, Malawi.
The funds were collected at the funeral of parishioner Mary Mitchell, whose family sponsored Ruth Samson, one of the females from the Makhosa Female Farming Catholic Cooperative, an organisation set up by St Margaret’s High School in Airdrie.
The late 81-year-old was dedicated to her Faith and bought The Scottish Catholic Observer every week, despite being blind in her later years. Mary still attended Mass to the very end and said her Rosary daily.
“My mum took great joy from her faith and loved the fact that we supported Ruth and her children Prisca and Mary,” Mrs Mitchell’s daughter, also Mary, said.
The project was officially launched on December 14 with the Million Penny Campaign which it is hoped will raise £10,000 towards the £14,000 total still outstanding.
The St Margaret’s community has already purchased and prepared the land and hope to have the centre opened before they visit the country in June.
“I have studied the plans for the refuge and seen the profiles of the females who will be the first residents,” Steven Snee, acting headteacher at St Margaret’s, said. “All are orphans and have endured terrible hardships, only surviving their experiences through their faith and the support of the Parish at Mendulo, Malawi. I am delighted with the members of our community, who have come in off the street to put change in our collection box and to the families of our children who have sent their coin collections to the school.”
The Million Penny Campaign is running alongside a Prayer Book project.
The refuge is known as Maria Amayi Achifundo—Home of Compassionate Mary—and St Margaret’s Female Refuge Centre. It will provide the women for the first time with a room, a kitchen, electricity and running water.
St Margaret’s Malawi project is run in cooperation with North Lanarkshire Council. Convener Jim Logue, who has met the women involved in the refuge, said he was delighted to support the project.
Anyone wishing to donate to the Million Penny Campaign or the Prayer Book can do so by contacting the school.
—This story ran in full in the January 22 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.
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