The Tool Shed at Kinghorn Loch

Wed, Mar 10th 2021 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Lee Brown from the Ecology Centre explained the benefits to the local population and also disabled people in Malawi

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How can old tools benefit people with disabilities in Malawi and Fifers living with dementia? Lee Brown, from the Ecology Centre at Kinghorn Loch, showed how in an inspiring talk. Lee runs the Tool Shed, part of the Men’s Sheds movement, where volunteers are taught how to refurbish unwanted tools that have been donated so that they can be brought back into use. They are then sent to Malawi through Global Concerns Trust, a Scottish charity whose mission is to reduce poverty and empower vulnerable people through sustainable grassroots projects. Lee illustrated his talk with short videos in which Malawian men and women described how their lives have been transformed by being trained in carpentry, tailoring or cane furniture making and provided with the appropriate tools. This has enabled them to earn a decent living despite disabilities that had previously resulted in a hand to mouth existence and ostracization. Some have gone on to set up small businesses and co-operatives, passing on the skills they have learned. Treadle and hand operated sewing machines are especially welcome donations: one of Lee’s volunteers worked for Singer before retirement and these machines are ideal for tailoring in Malawi because they do not depend on the country’s unreliable power supply. Some of Lee’s volunteers are living with dementia but gain confidence and a sense of purpose when allocated suitable tasks. Lee was asked, by Rotary Club members who have already donated tools for the project, whether items such as buttons and dressmaking patterns could also be of service. He replied that nothing goes to waste. Alistair McLaren thanked Lee for an inspirational and heart-warming talk.

Some of our members donated tool to this project last year

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