UNITED KINGDOM: Walking the West Highland Way for Sudan's Schools

By John Newton

Pupils with their teacher at a Save the Saveable school near Khartoum, Sudan

A member of the Knights of Saint Columba will be undertaking a gruelling 98-mile trek to raise money for Christian schools in Sudan.

George McLaughlin will be walking the West Highland Way from 29 July to 5 August 2012, to raise money for the Save the Saveable schools based around Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.

The decision to help the Church-run schools in Sudan follows the Knights of Saint Columba adopting the Aid to the Church in Need backed scheme as their national action project from 2011-2013.

Mr McLaughlin, from Alloa, in the Central Lowlands, described the up-coming challenge of completing the 98-mile route in eight days.

He said: "As I am not in the least fit or athletic this will be very challenging indeed."

The West Highland Way runs from Milngavie, just outside Glasgow, to Fort William in the Highlands, following historic routes including disused railway lines and drove roads – used to transport livestock in former times.

Mr McLaughlin hopes to raise £1,500 to educate children in Sudan through his sponsored walk and has set up an online page at www.justgiving.com/George-McLaughlin where people can make donations.

In interviews with Aid to the Church in Need, Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok Kur of Khartoum has repeatedly stressed the importance of the schools for the future of the Church in Sudan.

He said: "There needs to be good Christian education possibilities so that future generations can be formed and can nurture strong values to enable them to live in an Islamic environment.

"Save the Saveable remains the way to help young Christian people so that they are educated and can play their part in local society.

"The schools programme provides the best means of educating people who come from a poor family."

Education is not free in Sudan and at the Save the Saveable schools parents pay what they can.

In many cases they cannot afford to pay anything, so help given via Aid to the Church in Need is the only way of meeting the costs of their children's education.

Mr McLaughlin's his brother-in-law, Adrian, will be accompanying him as he travels the West Highland Way.

Mr McLaughlin said: "Adrian is not a member of the knights but is going to make sure I reach the end in one piece."

He added: "He will provide the photographic evidence that this has been successfully completed."

Mr McLaughlin is action convener for the Knights of Saint Columba's 636 Kentigern group, based in St Mungo's, Alloa, in the Central Lowlands.

Tagged with

• Save the Saveable Schools in Sudan
• Sudan

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