Runcorn couple help village in crisis (From Warrington Guardian)

Runcorn couple help village in crisis

A DEVESTATED Kenyan village is being brought back to life by two Runcorn charity workers.

Mida Village was in such dire straits that Shirley and Eddy Johnson of the Paperchase trust said it was 'their biggest challenge yet'.

But writing from Kenya, the pair have detailed the progress being made.

The people of Mida were suffering because their only source of income was lost when banana trees were destroyed by a pack of elephants, and they couldn't afford to pay for clean water.

The infections caused by dirty water were literally eating away the villagers.

But with funding from the trust, the villagers have laid a new 950m water pipe over six days in temperatures of 35 degrees celsius.

"It was unbelievable to see the old people pulling the pipe along the trench," said Shirley.

"The heat was burning through our shoes."

The water was turned on last week. "It was wonderful to see a child getting a drink of water," said Eddy.

They also managed to buy 34 new banana trees at discount prices, so the villagers should have a new crop in three months.

The couple also carried on the work at previous projects, including knocking down mud classrooms and replacing them.

"The rats were running out of the walls - there were so many insect nests, how these children were able to learn anything beats me," said Shirley.

Shirley and Eddy also visited another Kirepwe Island, where they've previously bought canoes so the people can get food and water from the mainland.