Making a big splash

Whitfield charity’s aid work making world of difference

A TINY charity from Whitfield is doing huge things on the international development stage by bringing clean water to schoolchildren in Uganda.

Despite running with just one fulltime member of staff, Signpost International is working at the forefront of humanitarian aid for children in the Philippines, Brazil, eastern Europe and Africa.

Chief executive Jamie Morrison has even met Microsoft boss Bill Gates to discuss Scottish-based international development projects.

Now Jamie and monitoring and evaluation officer Michael Calder are heading to north-east Uganda to see how a project with three primary schools is getting on.

The pair travelled to the country last year, and this time will also be going to Tanzania to plan new projects starting in 2019.

Fundraising coordinator Jenny Liandu said: “We work with partner organisations and visit the communities we work with once a year in order to monitor and report on progress and to ensure that project impact is achieved. These trips are essential for us to share with our supporters what is happening and how their donations are making a real difference to people’s lives.

“In Uganda one of our projects has involved working in three primary schools drilling deep bore wells for clean water provision. We also constructed appropriate, disability-accessible latrines.

“In these schools, absence rates reduced dramatically. Children are able to attend school healthily without risk from infection and dehydration. “

Signpost CEO Jamie met Bill Gates at a crossparty group on international development at Holyrood in January,