A six-year-old Kinross-shire boy is walking over the West Highland Way this weekend to raise money for starving children.
Finlay Scott, of Dalquish, was so moved by TV footage of the devastating famine that has hit the Horn of Africa that he asked his parents, Richard and Sarah, if he could do anything to help.
Thousands are suffering from what is thought to be the worst drought in East Africa for six decades. Families are arriving at the Dabaad refugee camp in eastern Kenya seeking food and water.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) has launched an appeal and Save the Children started an emergency bid to raise £40 million, with Oxfam and the Red Cross also calling for urgent donations.
The UK has pledged £38 million ($61 million) in food aid to drought-hit Ethiopia, which could feed around 1.3 million people for three months. In addition, the UN has called for international aid across the Horn of Africa where 10 million people are affected.
The Craigclowan Preparatory School pupil is taking part in the first two stages of the walk, which are set at 13 miles and 15 miles.
His grandmother, Sylvia Scott (65), this week told The Courier of Finlay’s interest.
“I have helped in the Mercy Ships working in Africa and Finlay comes over and stays with me every Saturday,” she said. “For the last year, he asked me about my time helping in Africa.
“I do not have a tourist view with working there but I told him about the children eating with their fingers and then picking leaves to wipe around their bowls afterwards.”
She continued: “When he saw images of the children in Somalia he was quite upset and said to me, ‘What can we do?’ His parents said to him that he could take part in the West Highland Way and by doing that send some money to the children in Africa.”
Mrs Scott said: “He will do the first two stages over the three days and this will be broken up into so many hours per day. Finlay has a real interest in the situation in Africa. If you are washing up Finlay tells you to turn off the tap as he says people in Africa would need the water.”
Finlay and his father are due to finish their walk on Sunday.
Anyone wanting to sponsor Finlay can visit www.justgiving.com/richard-finlay or send donations to Station Hair Company, 207 High Street, Kinross, KY13 8DL.