Aberdeen oil entrepreneur Sir Ian Wood has brewed up a new scheme to help tackle poverty in Africa.
The Wood Family Trust is to plough more than £3 million into a project in Tanzania which aims to help smallholders involved in tea production increase their earnings.
It's part of a £50 million giveaway by the Trust over ten years to support the poor in Africa and develop young people's skills in Scotland.
The Wood Family have already invested £2.7 million encouraging citizenship and enterprise in Scotland's youth. As part of that, the Trust funded the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, allowing schools to identify a charity in need of support and help them bid for £3000 funding.
Banchory Academy chose the Grampian Society for the Blind, which had recently lost lottery funding for its young person's project.
Pupil Louise McGillivary said: "A lot of people stereotype teenagers as not being aware of people with disability if we are fortunate.
"I believe that through the youth philanthropy we are more aware of how other people live and we need to raise awareness to others."
The Society's young person's scheme aims to build confidence among visually impaired teens and young people. Group member Tina Clark said: "I don't believe you should say you can't do this, you can't do that. Just break free, go for it.
"Say just watch me, I'm going to do it, I'm going to make it, I'm going to be somebody."
Following on from the Philanthropy project, the Wood Family Trust is making its first investment in Africa, joining forces with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. and between them will donate $9m over six years.
Between them, the organisations will donate $9 million over the next six years, in a bid to reduce poverty by increasing trade and employment. In Tanzania they hope to double small holder tea production.
Sir Ian Wood said: "There are 31,000 small tea farmers in Tanzania, operating very near the bread line with $1 or $2 a day income from their tea farming.
"That seemed like a real opportunity and it's proven to be so. What we are doing is working with the small holders, the tea farmers, but working with the whole industry".
