A group of ex-missionaries has established a regular supply route to Malawi for medical and educational items with the help of Carson McMullan and All Route Shipping based on the Belfast Harbour Estate.
"Some time ago I was approached by a group who asked me to help with shipping container loads of medical and educational items for use in schools and hospitals in Malawi," explains Carson. "Having spent my working life shipping goods around the world to many obscure places I was delighted to help."
The idea is really simple and works well. People or groups who want to help are asked to buy a plastic container, cost £15, and then fill it with either medical or educational items from a designated list. The filled boxes are then returned to a depot in Belfast docks for loading into a 20ft container and onward shipment to Lilongwe or Blantyre.
On arrival in Malawi a local representative guides the goods through customs before handing them over to the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian for onward travel and eventual distribution.
"Some congregations and individuals have really taken to filling these boxes," continues Carson. "However we need more help to make sure we get enough boxes to fill a container regularly rather than waiting for months for it to be full enough to dispatch."
Groups can use the facility to send other items but only by prior approval of the organisers.
"The organisers prefer to choose where boxes will be sent and what they should be filled with since from their experience and contacts on the ground they are aware of what will be most useful."
For more information Carson McMullan can be contacted at All Route Shipping on Belfast 9077 9088.
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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