CPG on Malawi- 29th March 2017
The March CPG on Malawi looked at the importance of supporting Malawian exports and the fantastic Malawian products that are available to buy in Scotland!
The lastest meeting of the Cross Party Group (CPG) on Malawi took place on Wednesday 29th March, at the Scottish Parliament. Please take a look at the minutes.
This special CPG meeting formed part of the SMP’s #BuyMalawian2017 campaign, helping to build Scottish markets for Malawian products.
This was a lively and engaging CPG in which we heard from Malawian producers and distributers, discussing the real human impact this is having in Malawi.
This meeting also formally launched Malawi’s Linga Fruit Wines into Scotland. At the risk of jeopardising the all-party support (!), we had a friendly competition between the Holyrood parties, with a representative from each undertaking our blind-tasting challenge to identify the Malawian fruit behind each wine.
Congratulations to Linda Fabiani MSP who won the blind taste test!
Linga Wine Story
Linga Wine is yet another amazing story of Scotland-Malawi cooperation and friendship, 50 years in the making.
It began in 1965 when Rev Tom Colvin, an engineer and missionary from Glasgow and an enthusiastic fruit wine maker, took up the position of Chaplain at the new University of Malawi.
When communion wine stocks ran low (!), Rev Colvin shared his passion for fruit wine-making with Timothy Ngwira, a student of Chemistry and Biology at the university.
In 1970 Rev Colvin married Timothy Ngwira to Margaret Gunn, a Scottish VSO volunteer from Lennoxtown, later giving them all the equipment and literature to start their own small scale fruit wine production. In 1978 the Ngwiras started wine making.
They registered the company Linga Fine Foods and Winery in 2005 and after almost 40 years of hand-crafting fruit wine, they are starting to export to Scotland!
#BuyMalawian2017 Campaign
By buying Malawian products you get to enjoy great quality, as well as supporting Malawian farmers, entrepreneurs and small businesses.
This enables the creation and sustainability of livelihoods right across the supply chain.
If that wasn't enough, if you take part in #BuyMalawian2017 you could be in with the chance of winning a dream holiday to Malawi!
All details about the campaign can be found here.
The Buy Malawian campaign is going well, with over half a million impressions on social media, over 1,000 votes for selfies on our website, and 26 selfies with MSPs (including yourself).
We have had good coverage in the Scotsman and Third Force News about the campaign.
Even pop star Gareth Gates has submitted a #BuyMalawian selfie! All of this is making a huge difference to support the Malawian economy.
