AN appeal by a small Tavistock church to supply computers to Rwanda, as the country rebuilds from a devastating civil war, has turned into a remarkable success.

King's Church has now been given around 300 old or unwanted computers by firms, councils and individuals from Stockport to Wiltshire.

Church leader Colin Bond said he was amazed at how the appeal had snowballed with computer equipment now being sent to other needy areas as far afield as Trinadad and Cambodia.

The computers are used in schools to support education and by charitable organisations, clinics and churches to improve administration and communication.

'It has given us a problem because we need to store what has come in, and the people we have working on rebuilding the computers need to have dry storage space,' said Mr Bond. He also said the cost of containers to transport the machines out to Africa was another source of headaches.

As well as computers, King's have been stockpiling medical equipment, supplies and clothing which can also double as packing when transporting the computers abroad.

Accompanying Colin on the trip was his son-in-law, Tavistock post Office clerk Chris Wright.

Many people living locally have been out to Rwanda to undertake voluntary aid work in the community. David and Kathy Palmer, with their eight year-old daughter, Helena, were the latest to make the trip.

They were accompanied by teenagers Hannah and Katie Parsons, the daughters of Tavistock policeman Ian Parsons, who died in a road accident in 1990.

This was the first visit the girls have made to Africa. They took part in a youth camp, then helped at a physiotherapy hospital in Gahini in the north-east of Rwanda, during their fortnight-long visit.

Over the last four years, King's Church has developed a close friendship with Sadiki, a Christian leader in Rwanda, whose own community has benefitted greatly from the help and support of the church.

But more help is always needed in a country whose countless widows and orphans face a life of poverty and danger.

'The people are suffering, but they still show great gratitude,' said Mr Bond.