Bellahouston Academy pupils have challenged the warrior King of Swaziland in Africa.

‘Match our fundraising efforts, pound for pound, to help Aids orphans in your country,’ is their message.

They issued the invitation when they handed over a cheque for £2000 last month to Dr Samuel Hynd and his granddaughter Tracie Hynd who both live and work with orphans in Swaziland. Scots born Dr Hynd is the medical superintendent for the children in the New Hope Centre, an orphanage founded by his daughter Dr Elizabeth Hynd. He also sees around 100 patients a day at his clinic in Manzini. The vast majority have Aids.

Tracie is the founder of the pre-school nursery in the New Hope Centre. The aim of the Centre is not only to rescue helpless orphans but to give them the very best education they can to fit the children to be leaders of their country. She told the assembled first and second year students at Bellahouston, ‘Some of the children who come to us have survived by eating grasshoppers and frogs. They’ve had nothing else and no one to help them.’

English teacher Tom McEnroe who read about the orphans in the LOCAL NEWS, and brought them to the notice of his first year class last term, said, ‘The pupils here were genuinely moved when they realised what was happening to these children and they decided to do something about it.’

The result was a spate of fund raising activities last term from a disco to a non-uniform day which brought in the cash. This was handed over to the Scottish registered charity Hope for Africa to go the New Hope Centre to help them build a schoolhouse. ‘Right now the pre-school children use a room intended as a boys’ dormitory,’ said Tracie.

Bellahouston Head Teacher Ian Anderson told the LOCAL NEWS, ‘Our young people have been inspired by what they’ve learned and they have lots more fund-raising activities planned.’

More than 100 handwritten letters addressed to King Mwsati III containing the ‘match our money’ challenge,  will be taken to the King by Dr Hynd. He was Minister for Health in Swaziland for some years and was the doctor who attended at the birth of the King. ‘You could say I heard his very first speech when I smacked his bottom to make him cry,’ said Dr Hynd.