CHILDREN in Africa, including some who are very sick, are about to receive 'a little love and attention' from a Tavistock woman, who has volunteered to help out at an orphanage in Zimbabwe for a month.

Mary-Bridget Flynn Samuels is a supported housing manager for the charity Young Devon and a member of Tavistock Methodist Church. She flies off on September 9 to Faloma, Bulawayo, where she will take educational and medical aid and work with Jenny Hensman, of the Youth for Christ, who runs the orphanage.

Mary Dell is an example of the children she is going to help. Mary was abandoned at birth, weighs just 15.4lbs, even though she is three years old, and suffers from rickets and needs operations to walk.

Mary-Bridget found out about the children's plight through the orphanage, raising money for their charitable work.

Mary-Bridget, 42, who is married to Justin and has three children, has been raising money to sponsor her adventure by selling donated goods at car boot sales and tonight (Thursday), she is holding an auction at Tavistock Methodist Church in Chapel Street.

A keen runner and member of the Tavistock Athletic Club she has taken part in a number of challenging, long distance runs, including the Amsterdam and London marathons, the Weymouth triathlon and she cycled the Dartmoor Classic 100 kilometre ride — not bad for a woman, who before she moved to Devon eight years ago and before adopting a fitter lifestyle, used to weigh in at 19 stone.

The social care worker and Christian feels the adventure she is about to embark upon is all part of 'God's plan' for her.

She said: 'Things have happening to me throughout the past year that convinces me that I am meant to be going there; for example, I met someone who was training as a missionary in Zimbabwe and another time, I was lost in London and found myself outside the Zimbabwean Embassy.

'I even met someone out cycling who had been to Bulawayo. "OK God," I thought, "if that's what you want me to do, who I am to argue!"'

'I will be taking over learning resources, foods and medicine with me and I also will be teaching English and maths at its school. What I can also offer the children is to mother them a little, nurture them and give them some love and care.'

Mary Bridget is raising a £1,000 to pay for her transport costs and is hoping to raise a further £1,000 to supply the educational and medical aid and other vital resources.

Everyone is welcome to the auction tonight, where the donations to be sold include items, new or as new, garden appliances, kitchen ware, digital camera, hand made silver jewellery, musical instruments and much more.

Doors open at 7pm for viewing, the auction starts at 8pm. Refreshments are available, entry is £2.

If you would like to make a donation to support her charity work or have an auction item for Mary-Bridget please call her on 01822 616254 or 0785 4571217.