14 November 2013 Lorna McDonald - Student Volunteers Abroad

Last week's meeting heard from local girl Lorna McDonald who had been in South Africa with 7 other students from Glasgow University last summer doing voluntary work through Student Volunteers Abroad.

Lorna's sister, Aileen, had talked to us in May this year following her trip to Malawi in 2012 and it was Lorna's turn to recount her experiences of her 8 week visit to South Africa. She had gone there with Student Volunteers Abroad, a student run charity based at the University of Glasgow. In 2013, the charity sent 60 volunteers to different projects in Nepal, Cambodia, Uganda, Malawi and South Africa.

Lorna thanked the Club for supporting her for her trip - the target was to raise £6,000 but the group exceeded that by £1,000, enabling her and her colleagues to donate more funds to the various projects they undertook during their time there.

Lorna and her colleagues were in Limpopo province, the northernmost region in South Africa. Their 8 week project was aimed at raising HIV / AIDS awareness, helping in community projects and educating at local schools.

At one project, Vhutshilo Mountain School, they renovated the school reception area, took part in local crafts for fundraising and donated £3,000 towards an additional classroom.

During their last week, they became involved in a local drop-in centre in desperate need of support and donated the last of their funds as well as food to this project. In their review of the time they spent, Lorna explained they had identified this project as one for follow up support for next year's volunteers. Following a range of questions, Andrew Hilley thanked Lorna on behalf of the Club for an excellent presentation.