MALAWI SCOTLAND PARTNERSHIP (MaSP) PRESS RELEASE
Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP) is a Malawi led network organization which was established in the year 2004 to coordinate, inspire, support and represent Malawi’s people-to-people links with Scotland.We do this by harnessing experience, expertise and enthusiasm across Malawi and providing forums where ideas, activities and information is shared between our members.
MaSP is a membership organization which anyone in Malawi with an interest in Scotland can join. MaSP is independent, non-governmental, and entirely Malawi-led and owned and it is alsopolitically neutral. We exist to ensure that the partnerships for our members with their Scottish counterparts are working to the benefit of the people in both nations. Our focus is to build connections and collaboration on a multi-sectoral basis between two small nations in ways that are transformational for both.
MaSP has over 450 member organizations and key individuals spread across the country. These include hospitals, local government authorities, colleges, primary and secondary schools, faith based organization, NGOs and community based organizations. Our work permeates almost all aspects of Malawian Civil Society.
MaSP is proud of the 160 year old friendshipMalawi has with Scotland which dates back to when Dr David Livingstone first came to Malawi: this is a friendship built on mutually beneficial community-to-community, family-to-family and people-to-people links. It is a relationship underpinned by mutual understanding and respect. We believe that this is a powerful force for change.Today 46% of Scots personally know someone with a connection to Malawi thereby making this is a national effort and one of the world’s strongest bilateral civic links.
Supported by the Scottish Government and guided by the Government of Malawi, the MaSP ensures that the work of its members corresponds and accurately responds to the needs of local communities while responding to the global goals at the same time. MaSP works as an equal partner with its sister network in Scotland called the ‘Scotland Malawi Partnership (SMP)’ www.scotland-malawipartnership.org) which coordinates, represents and supports the Scottish side of the many civic links in that country.
MaSP is not a grant giving body; neither does it receive proposals for funding on behalf of any Scottish based organization. It however ensures that all Scottish Government grant recipients in Malawi are operating within country priorities in a particular sector and that their partnership with Scottish organizations is working well.