Glasgow charity appeal to be doubled by UK Government
Britain will match every pound donated to Glasgow charity SCIAF's 50th anniversary ‘WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE’ appeal
A woman in Rwanda works to prevent soil erosion. Picture: Sam Thompson/DFID Rwanda
Britain will match every pound donated to Glasgow charity Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s 50th anniversary ‘WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE’ appeal, helping thousands of women farmers in Africa, International Development Secretary Justine Greening has announced.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund’s (SCIAF) appeal, to run throughout next year’s Lent, will help women farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Rwanda grow more food, boost their incomes and have a bigger say in their communities.
The match funding was awarded through the UK Department for International Development’s (DFID) UK Aid Match scheme, which matches pound for pound public donations to selected charity appeals, giving the public a say in how Britain’s aid budget is spent.
Justine Greening said:
SCIAF is a doing fantastic work to reduce poverty around the world and has a long history of channelling the generosity of Scots to good causes.
By doubling donations to the WEE BOX appeal, the United Kingdom will ensure every pound the public donates helps twice as many women feed their families, start businesses and lift themselves out of poverty.
SCIAF Director Alistair Dutton said:
Winning DFID’s UK Aid Match scheme means that every pound given to us in next year’s WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE Lent appeal will be doubled.
This is fantastic news for the thousands of women farmers whose lives we are helping to transform in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Rwanda. This extra money will help more women, who are often the poorest of the poor in developing countries, to provide for themselves, their families, and strengthen their communities in the long term.
As SCIAF approaches its 50th anniversary next year I would urge everyone in Scotland to start thinking about how they will get involved in the WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE appeal as every penny they raise will literally go twice as far.
The money raised will give women farmers seeds, tools and agricultural training, farm animals and veterinary care, community ponds and pumps to improve access to clean water, and help them plan how to deal with disasters such as droughts and floods.
Small loans will allow women farmers to start small businesses and legal aid will help them own their land. Training in the community will also promote women’s rights and leadership.
Supported by celebrities including Sir Alex Ferguson and Susan Boyle, SCIAF was established in 1965 and its annual WEE BOX, BIG CHANGE Lent appeal is one of Scotland’s largest charity fundraising campaigns.
The campaign encourages Scots to give up something for Lent and put the money saved in a SCIAF WEE BOX. The campaign raised £862,189 in 2013, £847,054 in 2012 and £959,030 in 2011.
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