More than £2.6 million has been raised for a charity appeal to help women and children facing hunger, poverty and violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (Sciaf) raised the money for its Lent 2020 Wee Box, Big Change Appeal. The total includes £1.2 million matched funding from the UK Government.
The money will go towards helping 4000 vulnerable women and girls who have suffered sexual violence and rape after years of conflict has left the eastern region of DR Congo ruthlessly violent.
The funds will provide medical care, trauma counselling and legal support to prosecute attackers, as well as help to allow families to become financially independent.
Money was raised through the duration of Lent as fundraisers chose to withgo items such as coffee or chocolate and instead the donate the money they had saved.
The fundraiser attracted attention from stars such as Deacon Blue’s Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross helped launch the appeal last year.
McIntosh said: “The scale and brutality of sexual violence in eastern DR Congo is extremely disturbing.
“The lives of thousands of women and their families are being torn apart.
“It was great to see how money given in Scotland is helping women get the medical treatment, trauma counselling, free legal aid and help to recover and support themselves and their families in the future.”
Sciaf director Alistair Dutton said: “We are extremely grateful for people’s generosity throughout Scotland, year after year, and especially that of schools and parishes during this difficult period.
“As the coronavirus crisis continues to maintain its hold, we are seeing increasingly vulnerable communities pushed deeper into poverty, undoing decades of progress.
“The funds will also help to provide urgent food, water and medical assistance and put in place measures to help minimise the spread of the virus and its impact on people’s livelihoods.
“We could not do this without the incredible generosity of the Scottish public.”
To find out more or to make a donation, go to www.sciaf.org.uk/weebox, or call 0141 354 5555
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