By Jennifer Hyland

Copyright dailyrecord

Jack McConnell’s charity which sends impoverished girls to school in Malawi will now be able to help more teens after volunteers helped raise £35,000. The former First Minister and his team from the McConnell International Foundation took part in Edinburgh’s Kilt Walk last week in a bid to gather cash for their Keep Girls In School scheme. Lord McConnell was first minister when his Scottish Government launched the Scotland Malawi Partnership 20 years ago. The programme helps 200 girls in the east African country with scholarships to attend secondary school. It aims to tackle the trend of teenagers dropping out of higher education due to pregnancy or poverty. Earlier this month, Scots millionaire businessman, Optical Express founder David Moulsdale, who is also chairman of the Moulsdale Foundation, offered to double the funds raised ahead of the event after reading about the project in the Sunday Mail. Last week, a group of about 30 volunteers with the charity walked the Kiltwalk and raised more than £17,000. Now McConnell says the programme, which will send girls to start their first year of secondary school this month, will be able to help more youngsters secure their futures. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mail, McConnell said: “This is an incredible outcome that will make a real impact in the villages of where these girls live. “I can’t thank The Moulsdale Foundation and the Sunday Mail enough for their support. “We had about 30 volunteers and had good fun. Last year we raised just over £10,000 including gift aid but this year we were not sure if we would be as successful. “To have raised so much this year, with just a relatively small group of people including friends and family, is just brilliant. “We currently have 200 girls but 30 of them have sat their nation certificate in Milwau which none of these girls would usually get anywhere near. “We will now be able to replace those 30 girls with new first years and we will meet soon to see if we can increase that number of girls from 200. “We will be also looking at a number of other options. “There is always a concern about what happens to the girls once they leave school and one of the ideas we’ve had but never had the funds for, is to give the girls who complete the four years a starter grant for the next stage of their lives. “They could use that for college fees or growing things that they could sell at market and start their own business, or anything in between. “I’ve always had an ambition to do something that gives the girls a start when they leave school and I think we might now be able to do that this year with the 30 girls that have sat their certificate. “We will also look at other ways to expand the pilot project with hotel accomodation inside of the schools as our hostel project has been very successful with girls achieving way above the natural average. “This money allows us to both expand and deepen the impact of the scheme.” Founder David Moulsdale said:“Over £17,000 has already been raised by Lord Jack McConnell for the Keep Girls in School project. “This is thanks to the sterling efforts of my friend Jack and Lord Jack McConnell’s International Foundation, and demonstrates the extraordinary generosity of the people of Scotland. “Giving girls access to education in Malawi, one of the most deprived areas of the planet, is such an important cause. “So I was thrilled that the Moulsdale Foundation was able to double this donation to over £35,000, which will support 200 girls through school and open up a world of opportunity.” By the end of 2025 The Moulsdale Foundation and businesses owned by David Moulsdale will have gifted well over £36 million to deserving causes since 1990.