CHURCH members helped raise money for charity when they held a coffee morning with family and friends.

The coffee morning was held after Rosie Yells, a member of the Thrushelton Church, near Lewdown, opened up her home with her family.

A grand total of £370 was raised at the event, which saw guests enjoy coffee and refreshments in the garden, before taking a guided tour to see the free range turkeys, sheep and cattle on the organic family farm.

The money raised will go towards Devon Aid Korogwe (DAK), which is based in Bratton Clovelly.

Founder of DAK, Vivian England, said: 'Some time ago I was invited to give a presentation to Sue Baxter's geography group at Okehampton College.

'As a result one of the students, Kate Yells, went home and told her family about what she had seen and heard.

'Her mother Rosie became interested and told their local church gathering.

'Since then the Thrushelton church members and friends have used their harvest festival produce to generously make chutneys in Rosie's kitchen, which were then sold for DAK.'

The event was encouraged by the wishes of the late Margaret Crocker, from Lewdown, who had herself planned to hold a coffee morning to help the villagers of Korogwe to access clean water.

DAK has so far given wells or pipelines to 39 villages where the villagers contribute a small percentage of the overall cost for the skilled labouring required for digging a well, or they supply the manual labouring, stone and aggregate for a pipeline.

Mrs England said there are many more villages in desperate need.

She added: 'DAK is most grateful to Sue Baxter, the Yells family and to Margaret Crocker's family for all the help they have given towards enabling further work to be carried out.

'Village women have to spend many hours of hot and dusty trekking to and from dirty, contaminated water holes or crocodile infested rivers.

'Many people, especially young children, die of water related illnesses, but since DAK has provided clean accessible water, more children are able to attend school.

'The general population is healthier and the women have more time and energy for income generating activities such as making baskets with the indigenous grasses to sell in the local markets,' said Mrs England.

All donations given to DAK go entirely to the projects.

All trustees are volunteers with administration costs being sought from separate funding.

Regular visits are made to Korogwe to inspect the work carried out and to assess new villages.

Anyone interested in learning more about DAK and may be able to help with a fundraising event phone 01837 871310 or visit http://www.water4korogwe.com">www.water4korogwe.com