Linda Norgrove charity backs female Afghan beekeepers

Linda Norgrove was killed in October 2010

A charity set up in memory of a Scots aid worker killed in Afghanistan almost six years ago is supporting an Afghan women's beekeeping project.

Linda Norgrove, from Lewis, had been working in Afghanistan when she was seized by rebels in September 2010.

She was killed during a rescue attempt by US special forces the following month.

The Linda Norgrove Foundation has paid for a van and driving lessons for the women beekeepers.

The Bamyan Beekeeping Cooperative is led by women of the minority Hazara community in the Bamyan Valley.

Some of the Afghan beekeepers celebrate passing their driving tests

The foundation said the beekeeping project was important because it supported people from a minority group and was good for the environment.

More than 280 women are involved in the venture which produces about a ton of honey a year. The produce is sold at local markets.

The charity added that the sight of women driving was still "a rare and unusual thing" in rural parts of Afghanistan.

The foundation was set up by 36-year-old Ms Norgrove's parents John and Lorna, who still live in Lewis.

It supports projects that benefit girls and women in Afghanistan.

The Linda Norgrove Foundation said the beekeeping cooperative was an important initiative in the Bamyan Valley area of Afghanistan