The projects are part of the Scottish Government’s Malawi Development Programme, which will see £11 million spent on 11 projects that benefit communities, to be delivered by Scottish organisations and Malawian partners. The programme will run for the next four and a half years.
The University of Glasgow has received £1,288,378 for Towards a Dental School for Malawi – The Maldent Project. The project will establish an undergraduate dental degree programme within the Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, which will train Malawian dentists who are ‘globally competent and locally relevant’ and will be able to provide support for the delivery of a national health programme.
The University of Strathclyde has received £1,312,424 to deliver rural energy access through social enterprise and decentralisation, known as the EASE project.
EASE works with local and national structures to address energy poverty in marginalised rural communities in Dedza and Balaka districts through the deployment of appropriate renewable energy infrastructure and service provision under sustainable social business models and decentralised energy strategies.
Professor Jeremy Bagg, head of the University of Glasgow’s Dental School, said: “I am delighted that the Scottish Government is supporting our bid to establish Malawi’s first dental school. The Dental School alongside our partners at the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine are excited to progress the MalDent project over the next 4.5 years.”
International Development Minister Ben Macpherson said: “Scotland and Malawi have a significant shared history, stretching back more than 150 years to the travels of Dr David Livingstone. The Scottish Government aims to harness these links to bring about positive change.
“Working in collaboration with the people of Malawi, our focus is to assist the most vulnerable communities in improving their health and education systems, as well as achieving long-term sustainable economic development.
“This funding will allow partner agencies to deliver tangible benefits to the people of Malawi, and reflects the enduring special relationship between our two nations.”
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