Primary pupils at a Highland Perthshire school have donated 25 provision-filled backpacks to a charity that helps poverty-stricken children in Africa.
Primary five children from Pitlochry High School handed over the backpacks containing food goods, as well as educational items, to Margaret Young, the ambassador for the Blairgowrie and District branch of the Mary’s Meals Charity, to aid school pupils in Malawi,
The charity sets up school feeding programmes in some of the world’s poorest communities, where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education.
Founded in 2002, the group has grown from its first feeding operation of 200 children in Malawi, to a worldwide campaign, providing free school meals in hundreds of schools and feeding more than one million children daily.
Organiser and school breakfast club supervisor, Judith Dingwall, said: “This all came about after I was given the chance to nominate a charity by the Rotary Club of Pitlochry when they awarded me citizen of the year.
“I thought it would be good to involve local children and further raise awareness of Mary’s Meals and the great work it does providing meals for children overseas in a place of education.
“The isea is that if they are fed a meal at school, it encourages children to attend school, gain an education and therefore be more enabled to help themselves.
“The primary five class at Pitlochry High School really took on the project, gathering items to send in backpacks to go to school children in Malawi.
“Primary five collected loose change at home also and donated £30.36 as well as the 25 filled backpacks.
“Thank you [to the pupils] for helping us show Perthshire what we have been doing here at Pitlochry High School.
“Also, the Rotary Club gave me the chance to nominate a charity to donate money to, so we also handed over a cheque from them for Mary’s Meals of £100.
“The Enchanted Forest also donated 50 new t-shirts to go in the backpacks for Mary’s Meals.”
Frank Nelson, head of fundraising at Mary’s Meals, said: “We are extremely grateful to the pupils from Pitlochry Primary School for supporting the children who receive Mary’s Meals in this way.
“Most of the children who benefit from Mary’s Meals and the backpack project have suffered war, poverty, famine, or natural disaster.
“They don’t have simple things like pencils and copy books, or even suitable clothes to wear to school, which means they can miss out on an education.
“A simple backpack filled with basic educational items, together with Mary’s Meals, can help solve this problem, and allow these children to make the most of their education which provides an escape route from poverty.”
