An Aberdeenshire charity has been given more than 180 hospital beds to help medical centres in Malawi – but now it has to find a way to ship them there.
Inverurie-based Famine Relief for Orphans in Malawi (From Scotland) raises money for projects in the country and has helped fund clinics in Mwananyaya and Sekini.
The group also feeds 2,000 children in Malawi every day, gives out starter packs of maize, beans and fertiliser to help families become self sufficient and has built a high dependency unit at Chikhwawa Hospital.
The charity has now been given 183 beds by NHS Grampian, as it is upgrading the existing stock, but now the team must find £40,000 to pay for containers and transport costs.
The clock is ticking, as volunteers have only been able to secure storage for six months.
Dave Thomson, who set up the charity in 2005 with wife Kathleen, said the group was “delighted” to receive the donation, and hoped someone in the community would be able to help solve its transport dilemma.
He said: “We have no administration costs and everything we raise goes straight to projects in Malawi.
“It is great that we have this donation of hospital beds but now we need to find a way to get them there.”
Mr and Mrs Thomson’s daughter Dr Tracy Morse has lived and worked in Malawi since 2000 as an environmental health specialist and the couple decided to set up From Scotland after visiting and seeing the problems in the country first hand.
There are about 1.2million orphans in Malawi because of diseases such as Aids, malaria and cholera. Recent failed maize crops also mean many children are starving.
A spokeswoman for the health board said: “A recent upgrade of beds across NHS Grampian hospitals left us with a surplus of equipment that we cannot use but which is still in good condition.
“We are pleased to donate this equipment to From Scotland who will ensure the beds continue to have a useful working life in Malawi.”