32 boxes of no longer used resources have been transported from Edinburgh

Equipment from a Royal Blind School former campus in Edinburgh has been donated to a blind school in Malawi.

A total of 32 boxes of resources no longer required by the Royal Blind School’s old Craigmillar campus, including science and maths Braille equipment, were shipped over by the charity Malawi Association of Christian Support (MACS).

They are now being used by low vision learners at the Nkope School for the Blind in southern Malawi.

The donation was arranged by Kay Bates, a retired science teacher from the Royal Blind School, who visited Malawi in 2009 on a MACS project

When she realised there was equipment from the old building which could no longer be used by the school, but would be extremely useful in Malawi, she decided to fundraise so the materials could be shipped out.

The Malawian school has now received the goods and they are already making a difference. Specialist teacher Esaya Mtenje sent a letter of thanks to Kay and everyone at the Royal Blind School.

He wrote: “The contents of the boxes are too numerous to mention, but let you be assured that they will be put into good use.

“Special thanks should go to the donation of the CCTV which has a great impact, especially to our learners with low vision.

“As I am writing, learners who are expected to sit for National examinations this year are using it. For this we say bravo our partners.”

Nothing in the shipment is going to waste – any equipment which would not be of benefit to pupils at the blind school has been passed on to the local mainstream school and other school in the area.