Ronald Copeland

Ronald is the Treasurer of ECRAD (Empowerment, Counselling, Relief and Development) which works to support orphans and others in need in Malawi. It is a Scottish Charity which works together with ECRAD Malawi to drive forward a programme of improvements to alleviate the suffering and deprivation brought about by the HIV / Aids virus which has badly hit this already impoverished nation, with a particular focus on children who have been orphaned by HIV / Aids.

ECRAD runs a school in Malawi which is growing and has at present around 600 pupils, with a mix of non orphan children and orphans. ECRAD also funds a daily feeding programme at the school. The school has limited resources and space, and funding is a problem with limited money and growing numbers. Ronald recently went over to Malawi to visit the operations, taking money to purchase food, clothes, steel and wood (to help fix a roof in the school which had been damaged in a recent storm), and pay some teachers' salaries and some of the orphans' secondary school fees. He also visited some other equivalent works to see what ECRAD could do to develop. ECRAD is at present looking at schemes to develop sustainable income and has been raising funds for an irrigation system so that it can grow crops and sell them for profit. Ronald has been involved in various fundraising activities, including particpating in the Three Peaks Challenge with a group of friends this summer.