Date: 3 July 2008
Plymouth marketing specialist, Martin Huggins,
is hoping to make a difference to the lives of people in Malawi
when he swaps his day job at Working Links to film vital charity
work later this month.
He is taking time out to travel with
volunteers from the Plymouth-based charity Medic Malawi to record
all the positive changes being made by the donations and support
they receive from across the UK. And he hopes that by showing
people how much good is being done that more will pledge their
support.
During the two-week trip he will also help out
in a local school, where charity funds are helping to provide books
and vital equipment for the pupils. He will also put his training
as a football coach to good use as he puts seven to 13-year-olds
through their paces. His visit will also include a trip to an
orphanage in Mtunthama, which is supported by Medic Malawi.
“I am looking forward to the challenges but I
am expecting it to be a very emotional experience,” the 38-year-old
father of two admitted. “I want to make a difference and I hope
that by recording the positive story we might encourage more
people to support the charity.”
Medic Malawi, which was launched by his
father-in-law Mac Forsyth in 1997, has had support in recent years
from local organisations. Plymouth’s St Andrew’s Church, for
example, has provided fundraising support to help build the much
needed St Andrew’s Hospital in Malawi.
Martin will be taking time out from his normal
job at Working Links; an organisation that helps change lives by
helping long-term unemployed people break down the barriers to
return to work.
“I hope that the DVD that we film during this
visit will encourage more people to support Medic Malawi and
attract new patrons to back the charity,” added Martin.
Medic Malawi was launched 11 years ago by Mac
Forsyth, a former school teacher, after he had spent six years in
the country teaching. When he returned to Plymouth he wanted to
raise funds to build a hospital. In Malawi 200 people die from AIDS
every day.
“Nearly half the children living in Malawi are
considered to be chronically malnutritoned,” explained Martin. “One
in four babies born in Malawi never reach their firth birthday and
Medic Malawi are tackling this with an under five feeding
programme.”
For further information
contact:
Nicola Doughty, Press Officer for Working Links
Tel: 07792 445512 or email: nicola.doughty@workinglinks.co.uk
Or Martin Huggins
Tel: 07984 651278 or email: martin.huggins@workinglinks.co.uk