Africa Connections

DUMBARTON and Raith Rovers football strips were among the gifts two Balloch women took to share with kids in Kenya, East Africa, on a recent visit to Mashimoni – an extremely poor township of Nairobi.

Julie Ewing and Amy Neill told the Lennox Herald: “We worked long shifts helping with the kids, which is what it’s all about. There were about 450 children in the orphanage. We were teaching sports activities and we had about 130 in our class at a time.”

Julie, who works for West Dunbartonshire Council, added: “We also got in touch with Dumbarton and Raith Rovers football clubs and they provided some strips for us to take over, which the kids loved.”

The town and Trust have other Africa connections, too. Local Episcopal priest Kenny Macaulay (who comes to SHS occasionally, but mostly has to suffer as a long-term Partick Thistle fan, like DFC administrator Antonia Kerr) maintains an ongoing link with Gambia. I also raised a flag or two for the Sons during my recent trip to Ghana.

The picture is courtesy of the Kenya Institute of Soccer Education and the Kisumu Youth Football Association.