THE superb work done by children in the area's two secondary schools abroad was praised by Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing at Holyrood.

Ms Ewing, spoke on Friday in a debate in the Scottish Parliament on ‘Scotland’s Contribution to International Development’.

Focussing her remarks on work being done in her own constituency by organisations, churches and schools, Ms Ewing said: “It is clear from the report that much progress continues to be made in respect of Scotland’s contribution to international development.

“In my view, what is most significant is the importance that the Government, in its international development work, places on real two-way partnership working with civic society here and in the countries that are involved. That approach, which is what marks Scotland’s distinctive contribution to international development, has been widely commended by our peers.

“We need look only at the enormously important work—as members have mentioned—that is taking place in Malawi to see how that distinctive approach is delivering on the ground. The Scotland Malawi Partnership has pointed out that the key approach of real nation-to-nation and citizen-to-citizen joint working acts as a civic multiplier. As we have heard, every £1 that is spent on the Scottish Government Malawi development programme brings in more than £10 in inputs from wider civic society. As a result of that innovative approach, 109,000 Scots have been actively involved in some way with a link in Malawi, and some 208,000 Malawians have been involved.

"We all benefit from that fantastic hand of friendship, as can be seen in every constituency in Scotland."

She added: “I would like to mention the tremendous work that is being done in my Cowdenbeath constituency by Dalgety Bay Parish Church, which has since 2007 been twinned with the congregation of Engcongolweni church in rural northern Malawi.

“Elsewhere in my constituency, pupils from Beath High School, which is partnered with Mendulo school in the Luchenza region, are just back from a visit to Malawi, and other schools including Dalgety Bay Primary School, Donibristle Primary School and Lochgelly High School have active two-way school-to-school links with schools in Malawi.

"Those links between our citizens and the citizens of Malawi are not only transforming lives in Malawi, but are inspiring generations of young Scots to be good global citizens.

“I am very proud of the fantastic work that is going on in my constituency, and I am also very proud of the role that my country is playing in international development to ensure that we live up to Robert Burns’s vision that ‘Man to Man the warld o’er, Shall brothers be for a’ that’.”