SIX-year-old Linda from Rwanda smiles a big 'thank you' to the town whose generosity helped pay for desperately needed physiotherapy.

Twelve months ago she was unable to walk or talk. Now she can take her first faltering steps — and is beginning to speak. And her amazing smile can fill a room with sunshine.

Last Christmas, Derek Perry — a reformed alcoholic and unemployed carpenter — stood outside Safeway and Somerfield supermarkets in Tavistock and raised more than £400 towards her treatment.

He was determined to make a difference for Linda, having met her parents, Sadiki and Violette, when they visited Kings, the Tavistock Community Church.

Derek finally came face to face with Linda for the first time last week when she arrived in Tavistock.

'She held her arms out and said "David, I love you." I was in tears. The smile on that face could brighten anyone's day.'

He said her improvement from the way he had been told she was before treatment was 'wonderful'.

'The people of Tavistock and surrounding area responded last Christmas and are still responding. Wherever I go people have been asking when is she coming over?'

Derek said Linda was hopefully the catalyst to getting more medical equipment sent to Rwanda.

'If we can get equipment out there it will benefit Linda as well as other young people.'

Sadiki, who runs the Family of God Church in Rwanda, said his daughter can make about ten steps.

He said she was very weak and was unable to sit up but now she is much stronger.

'If the people of the town would like to meet us we would like to meet them. Then they can see for themselves how Linda has improved since the money that they gave went to the treatment,' he said.

Linda was born with brain damage. This followed a beating her mother, Violetta, had during the Rwandan genocide when troops tried to find her husband so that they could kill him.

Sadiki said: 'Linda is enjoying her visit to Tavistock. She went to the Meadows and went on the swings.

'I feel at home when I am in Tavistock because of the way people are so friendly,' he added.

His family are the guests of Tavistock Community Church pastor Colin Bond and his wife, Joy.

'After the genocide we had one church with 40 people. When Colin came over we began a strategy plan because he taught and led us. We developed leaders who went away and made more churches.

'There are now about 60 churches with 20,000 people,' said Sadiki.

In Africa there have been eight attempts on his life — 'So when I come to Tavistock I find it peaceful here. When we are here we sleep very well!'

But when the family heard fireworks they thought it was gunfire.

'It sounded like a gun battle to them,' said Colin Bond. 'And when a helicopter went overhead they thought that meant war.'

Colin said the plight of Linda had 'touched people's hearts'. The family will be in Tavistock until mid-January and it is hoped Linda will be able to have some physiotherapy and speech therapy during her stay.

The family visit includes Linda's brother Dieudonne, 12, and David, 18, who is learning to use and maintain computers so that he can teach these skills at schools when he returns to Rwanda.

Colin says there is more than four tons of medical supplies ready to be sent to Rwanda and 300 re-conditioned

computers.

'We are aiming to set up a school. The government has given Sadiki 40 plots of land for schools, churches and dispensaries because there are very few hospitals out there,' he said.

He is hoping to raise money to send out the container of items to Rwanda, and is looking for people such as VSOs or medics between jobs to help set up hospitals.

If any group or organisation would like a visit from Sidiki and his family they are welcome to contact Colin Bond on (01822) 833844.