Press release

Nursery pupils Christmas messages for friends in Malawi

Published on 23 December 2019

Pupils from the Law Nursery in Dundee have sent Christmas messages to their new friends in Malawi during a visit to the Ninewells Community Garden.

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Pupils from the Law Nursery in Dundee have sent Christmas messages to their new friends in Malawi during a visit to the Ninewells Community Garden.

The children hung messages on the Christmas tree which will be shared with their school friends in two Malawi schools.

In May the Law Nursery children created their own vegetable garden, with help from some of the medical students from the University of Dundee and volunteers from Ninewells Community Garden.

Alison Gourlay, a third-year medical student, said the Ninewells Community Garden was the perfect place to showcase Scotland’s friendship with Malawi.

“The Law Nursery children loved planting vegetables such as beans and maize in the spring and now that it’s winter they wanted to celebrate what is happening in the Malawi garden,” said Alison.

“While the temperature in Scotland is generally coldest in December, with the average maximum around 5C, the children know from their friends in Blantyre in Malawi that the average temperature in December is much hotter at 24C.

“They were all excited about the prospect of snow and building a snowman. They have asked the Malawi children in their message if they have ever seen snow, and sang them ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’. We know from this lovely partnership that Malawi school children are very inquisitive and creative, and many questions may come back!”

John Joseph Pikadili, who volunteers at Ninewells Garden, said, ‘It is really important to celebrate the bond that exists between Scotland and Malawi. Learning in the outdoors in Greenspace is fun and fantastic for children’s development’.

In October this year two University of Dundee medical students, Catriona Grant and Florence Russell, who were key to organising the Malawi Garden, ran the Amsterdam marathon in an effort to raise money for Connecting Classrooms.

Connecting Classrooms is a global programme for schools, designed to prepare young people for life in a global society and work in a global economy and linking children in different countries. With more than 45% of the population of Malawi under the age of 15, youth leadership is more important than ever.

Mary Colvin, from Global Citizens Tayside, the local network that provides connectivity to the work in developing countries, praised the Law Nursery children, the Malawi children, the medical students and the volunteers at Ninewells Community Garden for keeping this blossoming partnership alive and vibrant.

She said, “We are delighted to be supporting these children and young people who are so creative and imaginative as they build friendships with Malawi. Playing and learning in nature brings joy to children at this festive season.”

Enquiries

Roddy Isles

Head of Corporate Communication

+44 (0)1382 384910

r.isles@dundee.ac.uk