< Malawi Scotland Partnership Archives – Mamie Martin Fund

Friendship and collaboration in person

On Saturday last we were delighted to attend in person at the AGM of the Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP). What a day of warmth and excitement. We had not seen friends and colleagues for so long. The day felt like true partnership all the way through. We shared a table and volunteers with the One World Shop. We caught up with Kenyawi KidsSteka Skills, the David Livingstone BirthplaceMalDent and many many others. The team at SMP put on a great day which included Malawi Gin (of course), Malawian food, great music and a tremendous tribute to the outgoing CEO, David Hope-Jones, who has been so supportive to the Mamie Martin Fund over the years.

We were pleased to introduce our friends from the Malawi-Scotland Partnership to our friends at St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, where they were welcomed to the Sunday morning service.

Thanks to our volunteer, Liz Hall, and to all the supporters who stopped by our table to chat or buy notecards or gift cards.

Why be a Mamie Martin Fund Trustee?

MMF’s Co-convenor shares some ideas about trusteeship of our little organisation, with thanks to all those who contributed to this list.

  1. Educating and empowering girls helps to save the planet. See BBC Radio 4 – 39 Ways to Save the Planet, Educating and Empowering Girls
  2. The Scotland -Malawi and Malawi-Scotland relationship is strong and well supported by our governments. As a Trustee you will be playing your part in a lively and vibrant country to country partnership 
  3. We are a working Board, so you will have the opportunity to use your existing skills and experience as well as learning new skills
  4. We use digital resources to work and communicate as efficiently as possible and to save time
  5. Your work will be interesting, you will learn a lot and will never be bored
  6. You will never be short of conversation topics, or material for interviews and applications
  7. You will give your time and energy, but you will know that you are helping to make a difference. See Number 1 above.

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.