A BRATTON Clovelly-based charity which has helped provide clean water for the inhabitants of a village in Tanzania is expanding its work after identifying a number of other surrounding villages also in need of help.

Vivien England, chairman of Devon Aid-Korogwe has just returned from a month-long visit to Tanzania and now feels after building eight wells in the village of Kwasemangube, the charity could now help people living in neighbouring villages.

Vivien said seeing the progress that had been made to improve the lives of the women of Kwasemangube by providing safer water had been encouraging.

However, more help was still desperately needed, especially in some of the other villages the charity visited.

?It was absolutely horrific. They have had quite a severe drought. Their crops have failed and so lots of people had little choice but to eat their seeds,? she said.

Vivien said the people in the area faced an impossible dilemma in getting access to water. ?They either make use of the local river which is polluted from industry further up steam, and where crocodiles are a serious problem or they go to a water hole which has no water,? she said.

She said with rising infection rates of malaria and AIDS in the Korogwe district, access to clean water remains vitally important.

On the latest visit, the charity continued its work with the local water authority and managed to visit eight other villages, with the go-ahead being given to carry out a water survey in four of those villages.

Vivien said: ?Once we go into a village,we feel it more or less commits us to help them.?

The charity is hoping to raise around £3,000 to provide a gravity water supply to a smaller village further up the mountain.

Devon Aid-Korogwe has also agreed to replace a pump for another village that was more than 30 years old and broken down.

Vivien said: ?This time more than ever, we realised we can only do small projects and at least a small project can help someone. The appreciation of the women that they now have clean water is very, very rewarding.?

Another project which Devon Aid-Korogwe is looking at for the longer term is making use of the heavy rainfall when it does come during the rainy season.

The village primary school has corrugated iron roofs, so it could be possible to conserve the rainwater by installing a harvesting system and a storage tank.

?It would be a good demonstration of what can be done for other villages, it seems like such a waste,? she added.

Devon Aid-Korogwe believes strongly in the hands on approach ? the villagers have to contribute themselves with labouring or a small amount of money.

?They need to feel a responsibility for the wells,? she said.

Vivien and her husband Graham started the Devon Aid?Korogwe charity eight years ago after visiting Tanzania and Kenya with a group of farmers through the NFU.

The visit offered a glimpse of the everyday hardships faced by local farmers and the couple decided they wanted to do something to help and set up the charity.

Vivien said the group?s trustees were very grateful to the people of West Devon who had offered great support to the cause.

The group?s next fundraising event is their annual wine and wisdom event in Bratton Clovelly Parish Hall on Friday, March 26 at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome to join in.

For more details or to enter a team of six contact 01837 221434 or 01837 871310.