Charity based in Glasgow launches The Big Issue in Malawi

A new edition of the The Big Issue is to be launched in Malawi.

The Big Issue Malawi is to be sold in the southern African nation's capital, Blantyre, by homeless people and slum dwellers.

The project is being backed by the Glasgow-based International Network of Street Papers, a charity which supports development of grass-roots publications all over the world, as well as a three-year-grant of £93,000 from the Scottish Government.
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According to INSP, the new project will provide training and employment opportunities for more than 750 disadvantaged people over the three years.

It will also seek through its pages to educate readers on social issues and "provide a voice to the many Malawians living on the margins of society".

The monthly publication is proposing to launch on December 10 and is currently recruiting a local editor and staff journalist. The title will also make use of content from street papers around the world via a news service run by INSP.

It also has backing from UK-based philanthropist Philippe Sibaud and from Malawian charities.

The Cultural Awakening Society in Malawi will run the new Big Issue project on the ground.

Founder Dr John Chikago said: "The economic grant from the Scottish Government towards the start-up costs for the launch of Big Issue Malawi for three years is great news to the jobless, marginalised and homeless people in Malawi. It gives them hope for a better tomorrow.

"Truthfully, it is the manifestation of the trust and confidence the Scottish Government has in the INSP and its international partners. As the founder of the Culture Awakening Society, I am grateful for this consideration and support."

More than half of Malawi's population live below the poverty line and it has a per capita GDP of $800.

Former first minister Jack McConnell was recently appointed as British High Commissioner for Malawi by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. In July The Big Issue announced plans to launch a new edition in India, recruiting 10 journalists for a December launch.