< Moira Dunworth, Author at Mamie Martin Fund – Page 13 of 18

Author: Moira Dunworth

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The Mamie Martin Fund and Black Lives Matter

Our charity is inspired by the legacy of Mamie and Jack Martin, who worked in Nyasaland in the 1920s.  When we look back at that time, we can find racist and paternalistic attitudes which do not sit easily with our views today and it is important to acknowledge that. However, when we read Mamie and Jack’s story through their own words, we see them learning the local languages, making friends amongst their communities, and working hard to better the lives of their new friends. They stood together with local couples at the baptism of Margaret in 1927, at a service taken by a black minister.  

The Mamie Martin Fund stands in solidarity with all those who fight racism and we appreciate these words from the joint statement of 11 June 2020 by the Malawi-Scotland Partnership and the Scotland-Malawi Partnership:

Scots and Malawians stand in friendship and mutual solidarity, as partners and equals. 

Black lives matter, in Scotland, Malawi and everywhere. It is important to keep saying this, but even more important to act.  If Black lives matter, we cannot accept a world in which each Malawian earns, on average, 100 times less than each Scot ($389 GDP per capita, compared to $38,606).  

As two networks, organisations and friends, there is much more we can do, and we hope to – led by this spirit of dignified, two-way, people-to-people partnerships.

In the Mamie Martin Fund, we take a stand against poverty and inequality by supporting the education of girls and we are grateful to our donors and supporters who help us to do continue this work.

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Mamie Martin Fund at the Ministerial roundtable

Mariot reported on our Cameron girls, the 45 girls who are being supported through their secondary education with the help of Scottish Government funding. We call them the Cameron girls because their funding was set up in recognition of the many years of service to Malawi by Colin and Alison Cameron.

On June 25th this year, Mariot Dallas, one of our Convenors, represented MMF at a roundtable meeting with Jenny Gilruth, MSP and Minister for Europe and International Development. The purpose of this meeting was to give the Minister a quick update on projects in Malawi which have received Scottish Government funding.

Mariot explained  to the Minister how significant secondary education is to girls in Malawi and the impact on their future health and security. This discussion was well supported by findings of research conducted for MMF by Edinburgh University Masters student, Anna Freidenfeld.

Six other charities were at the meeting and it was interesting to note  that challenging poverty and inequality through education was a common theme with many of them. The Minister herself has a teaching background and her questions and comments were encouraging and supportive. 

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6th July Malawi Independence Day

On the 6th July, we send our very best wishes to our friends and partners in Malawi. In the early twentieth century Malawi was a British protectorate called Nyasaland and in 1964 after independence it became Malawi, the country we know today. Because of Jack and Mamie’s time in Nyasaland in the 1920s, our friendship goes back a long way. We know from their diaries and letters that Jack and Mamie loved Nyasaland/Malawi. They enjoyed learning the language, making new friends and exploring the beautiful lakeside flora and fauna. The friendships they made were long-lasting and can be traced right through to the network of donors and supporters of the Mamie Martin Fund today. Mamie and Jack would be delighted at the strong links today between our two countries, supported by the Malawi Scotland Partnership and the Scotland Malawi Partnership.  

‘Milunga dalitsani Malawi’: God bless Malawi!

 

 

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Book a garden visit

Happy Midsummer to all our supporters and friends!In these ‘unprecedented times’ we are all glad of some easing of lockdown restrictions. We offer you this third video tour of Humbie Dean woodland garden. Frank Kirwan, the gardener, has created this for us and is now able to take bookings of groups of up to three adults, to visit the garden in person. Phone him directly to make arrangements so that your visit can be safe – 07768 996382. You will be asked to pay (£5 each) and confirm your booking on Eventbrite so that Frank has a record of visitors. 

We know that only a small number of people will be able to take up this new offer. In the meantime we hope that you all enjoy this lovely video. 

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Cycling for Malawi – 70 years on

In 1950, seven-year old Sally enjoyed riding her bike. She says ‘It’s 70 years since I was that child. First bike, a Hercules, I had loads of freedom to go off with friends. I learnt on the City Playground in Newbury (England), grass being softer to fall on than Tarmac.’ 

Now a lot older, Sally bought an exercise bike on the grounds that it would be safer than braving the streets of Edinburgh, where she lives. Even in lockdown, she is right about that! Sally took delivery of the parts and was a bit daunted – ‘The trusty steed has arrived. Once I can figure out the 5 allegedly simple steps to put it together I will be in business.’ A cup of tea later she tackled it and was delighted to ‘be in business’.

Sally is registered on the Stay-at-Home version of Story-on-Bikes and has already logged her first miles. If you would  to join Sally, the booking link is http://StoryonBikes2020.eventbrite.com. You could encourage her with a donation on  http://virginmoneygiving.com/fund/Story-on-Bikes. Our hashtag on Twitter and Instagram is #storyonbikes 

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Volunteering then and now

On this Volunteers Week, we remember that Mamie Martin was a volunteer. She and Jack married in 1921 and set off for Malawi . Jack was serving with the Livingstonia Mission but Mamie’s role as a missionary wife was undefined.

As they began their life together in Malawi Mamie’s passion for education and equality led her to set up classes and boarding schools for girls and women. She didn’t need to do this, and she encountered some difficulties, but she battled on and made a difference to many people. Jack and Mamie’s letters and diaries became the book Salt and Light, and eventually the Mamie Martin Fund was set up, and here we are today, supporting girls through secondary education in Malawi in memory of Mamie. 

In the Mamie Martin Fund today, we rely on volunteers and we celebrate them in Volunteers Week. They raise funds, they serve as Trustees, they lend us their skills in social media, photography, admin, video editing, etc, etc, and together we are making a difference to girls and women in Malawi. I like to think that Mamie would be pleased !

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Dr Andrea helps out with Story-on-Bikes

Andrea Adden should have been graduating with her PhD from the University of Lund, Sweden, today but the physical event was not possible due to #Covid19, so she generously gave her time to working with Trustee Moira Dunworth on #storyonbikes. A project like this, which aims to raise the profile of our work, needs a good social media strategy – that takes time and expertise. We are grateful to (Dr) Andrea for her advice and help. She and Moira have been meeting online to discuss hashtag following and other ways of letting the world know about #storyonbikes.

Andrea, a biologist,  has just finished a long study of the Bogong moth (Agrotis infusa). This involved many periods of fieldwork in Australia where she and Moira met in a hostel. Andrea’s work helps to understand how brains work. Any other explanation must be left to her – too complex for the rest of us! We greatly appreciate her help with #storyonbikes and wish her well in her new job in London. 

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Meet our research student

We are delighted to welcome a Masters’ Degree student from the University of Edinburgh on placement with us. Anna introduces herself below. She will help us with researching the evidence for supporting girls’ education in Malawi and will examine our existing data in order to enable us to report on our work more comprehensively.

My name is Anna Freidenfeld and I am lucky enough to be researching for my dissertation with the Mamie Martin Fund from May to August this year. Having graduated from my bachelor’s degree in Geography at the University of Nottingham last year, I am now working towards a master’s degree in International Development at the University of Edinburgh. In the study of development, I am particularly interested in the topics of education and gender.

I am passionate about women’s empowerment and have been involved in several NGO-based societies focusing on this matter. I have also worked in two schools, assisting lessons and tutoring pupils, and I greatly appreciate this opportunity to work in the educational arena in a more academic sense. I am very grateful for this opportunity and I am really looking forward to working with the MMF!

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Wristbands – a cheery video

Staying on the theme of sharing positive stories during this difficult time, we’ve put together a short video about wristbands. On a visit to Malawi in 2018, the older Mamie Martin pupils asked if they could have something which would identify them as belonging to the Mamie Martin Family. Mercy always stresses to them that they are part of the wider MMF family; the girls take that on board and look out for each other when they can. One question from the girls was how they would know which of the other pupils were MMF girls.

We discussed options and came up with silicone wristbands from Ross Promotional Products in Glasgow with the MMF name and rainbow colours, signifying the inclusivity which we aim for in all our work. We were given permission to distribute these to our girls and many of the teachers also wished to wear one. You can see from the video that they were well received by our girls. We are so glad that they love to declare their affiliation with us. 

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Her family sold their only cows so that she could finish her degree

Linvell Chirwa, born 1989, is the seventh born of eight children, her parents were subsistence farmers in the district of Mzimba in North Malawi. She attended Robert Laws secondary school in Embangweni but her parents did not have money for fees and so she was supported by the Mamie Martin Fund from the second term in Form 1 until she finished (2004-2007).

Linvell studied nursing and midwifery at Kamuzu College of Nursing (University of Malawi) and graduated in 2012. She received a government loan for two of the four years there. After that loan stopped she struggled financially and her parents sold their only cows to allow her to complete her degree studies. There is a huge shortage of nurses in Malawi and she started work immediately and is now working as a Nursing Officer in charge of a maternity ward in Lilongwe, Mitundu Community Hospital. She has a staff house in the hospital where she lives with her husband and two children aged 5 and 2.

Eager now to further her studies, Linvell has been offered a place to start a Masters course at Kamuzu College of Nursing in September 2020 but she cannot take that place up without support to pay the fees. At present she is the breadwinner for her own family, her parents and other family members.

As well as helping members of her family, Linvell carries on the Mamie Martin Fund vision by supporting other girls with their education.

Read her full case study here.