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THE STORIES of 15 young boys from Zambia are a million miles away from the lives of people in Mid Argyll.
But in August the boys from the Mthunzi Centre will throw themselves into the community during a month of music, fun and unforgettable experiences.
And all this is down to the hard work of the people of Mid Argyll, backed by a strong driving force – Marian Pallister.
Marian, a former-journalist, first met the boys from the Mthunzi Centre back in 1999 when she went on an assignment.
Since then she has ploughed in financial assistance and a lot of hard work, backed by the people of Mid Argyll, to ensure the boys have a better quality of life.
The Mthunzi centre houses children who have lost their parents to HIV or AIDS or who have simply ended up on the streets as a result of economic factors. Marian said when she first went over the boys called her ‘their English-speaking friend’ and asked Marian to bring back more friends for them.
She said: ‘So I took them at face value and I returned with more ‘English-speaking friends’.
Marian took out a few local adults to Zambia but said it was clear the boys wanted to meet people there own age as well.
‘In 2005 I took out a party of 15 people from Mid Argyll with half the numbers made up of young people.
‘A mixture of footballers and musicians then formed strong bonds and from then on, good relationships were made,’ Marian explained.
Another exchange then took place in 2006 and now, on July 30 this year, the group will return to Mid Argyll.
Despite Marian’s hard work and dedication, it is also the generosity of local people and businesses that have made the trip possible.
‘There is so much support and warmth in Mid Argyll to make sure the boys come back – without our fantastic committee and the drive of everyone locally – it would have been virtually impossible to secure a return visit’.
The boys have been working on some big surprises for this year’s visit.
The Mthunzi Culture Group will bring songs about their own agricultural traditions – but with the help of Sarah Cairns from the Mid Argyll Junior Gaelic Choir and native Gaelic speaker John Joe MacNeil from Barra, they have been rehearsing music of a different kind.
‘I can’t save Africa but I can help the boys to have a better life than they previously had and the people of Mid Argyll are helping me do this,’ added Marian.
