For the past one hundred and fifty years, there have been all manner of connections and interactions between Scotland and Malawi. The story continues and I am glad to be part of it. Though it is an old story it has a remarkable capacity to produce new developments.
One of them concerns Catherine Makombe, a brand-new MTh student at Zomba Theological University. Like most Malawi students, Catherine needs a scholarship to support her studies – to cover tuition fees and study costs.
She is therefore delighted that she has been selected to be first holder of the Clèir Eilean Ì scholarship. Clèir Eilean Ì is one of the new Presbyteries created by the Church of Scotland in a recent reorganisation. The clue is in the name – it covers the parts of Scotland that have been historically Gaelic-speaking and that are still shaped by the Gaelic heritage. In other words, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland – a vast area.
It has a lot on its plate to get organised as a Presbytery, especially across such a very wide geographical area. But, to its credit, it decided that from an early stage it would look not only inwards but also outwards to the wider world. Hearing about the Masters programme at Zomba Theological University and the need of the students for scholarships, it decided that it would support one of them.
Hopefully there might be a series of students who benefit from this generous vision. What is for sure is that Catherine is the first and is already making good headway in her studies as part of an impressive cohort of students currently embarking on the Masters programme.
Thinking Mission Blog 