People from poor communities in Malawi and Glasgow have been given a unique opportunity to share one another’s experiences thanks to a project from the Church of Scotland, Together for a Change.

|TOP|The people of Ruchazie, a poor area of Glasgow with few amenities known for its local gang violence, has welcomed a group of six people from Baula, a poor farming community in northern Malawi, for the project which aims to explore ways in which the world could be run differently.

Together for a Change also hopes to give people in both communities a sense of self-worth through the hospitality and by helping them to recognise that they can make a valuable contribution in the fight against poverty, as well as influence the politicians and policy-makers.

The members of the Malawian group, who have never travelled outside their own country before, will stay with families in Ruchazie, an urban housing scheme with high unemployment.

During their stay the Malawian group will visit local groups in Ruchazie, including youth clubs, pensioners’ groups, schools, housing organisations, churches, and community groups.

They will also be able to gain real insights and find shared issues through visits to the Scottish Parliament and Glasgow City Council.

The Rev Bill Hunter says: "We hope that by bringing ordinary people from Ruchazie and Baula together we can make waves not only in the lives of those who take part, but also with those who take the decisions and are responsible for policy and that we can let society see that ordinary people coming together does make a difference."

As part of the exchange, a group from Ruchazie will travel to Baula in the autumn to experience life in the community which has no electricity or running water and struggles particularly against AIDS.