Churches raise cash for African refugees
Kind-hearted parishioners in Rutherglen have been able to help refugees thousands of miles away in Africa.
St Anthony’s in Springhall and St Mark’s in Fernhill have a faith sharing group, who heard about a Scottish priest currently working in South Africa.
Father Peter Lafferty is based in Durban, and has worked with the poor there for over 25 years.
His work often involves refugees who have fled to South Africa to escape war, famine or drought, and when the faith sharing group discovered his work they decided to raise funds to help him.
In just over a month they raised £6,000, and when Fr Lafferty was over in Scotland recently on holiday he visited St Mark’s and St Anthony’s to thank them for their efforts.
Ian Robertson, one of the church-goers who helped raise funds, felt it was good to help such a worthwhile cause.
He said: “Fr Peter’s brother lives locally in Rutherglen and he alerted the group to the work his brother has been doing.
“When the refugees arrive in South Africa they receive no form of aid there.
“There’s a lot of children who arrive there, who have often lost their parents while trying to get there, and it’s a horrible situation for them. “Fr Lafferty tries to help them. “The faith sharing group were looking for something to do, and something they could help out with.
“People hear about European crises a lot of the time but it can be harder to hear about things taking place in Africa, or about how many people get displaced there. To raise money there was a therapy day, with all sorts of aromatherapy products. There were bake sales and coffee mornings too, and as soon as money was raised then it was transferred over, so that it could be put to use immediately. It will go towards clothes, food and helping provide shelter for them.”
There are a lot of children who arrive there, who have often lost their parents trying to get there