A DEDICATED fundraiser is organising an auction event in her latest attempt to help an impoverished Kenyan village.

Annie Austin, 67, of Button Bridge, last travelled to the African country in January (2010), having raised £13,000 in two years for a new well in the village of Kosele.

She is currently raising funds for her ongoing planting and growing “allotment” protect that aims to “help them to help themselves”.

She has been raising enough cash to get villagers forks, hoes and seeds, so they can dig the ground and grow their own vegetables.

In addition, 30 water butts have already been installed complete with gutterings and down spouts.

Mrs Austin said: “There are 5,000 people in Kosele who are starving to death. They only have enough money to eat every other day and what they do eat is the bare minimum to keep them alive.

“It breaks my heart to see baby’s in mother’s arms with malnourished swollen tummy’s.”

The auction is being held at 10am on November 20 at Bewdley’s Riverside Church in Dog Lane.

People are encouraged to donate new and nearly new items and offer pledges. Pledges already secured include a week in a holiday home near Bewdley, an airport run and an interior room design.

Mrs Austin first visited Kenya on a safari holiday in 2006 and ended up being taken to a school there, where nearly half of pupils were orphans.

She explained she was “horrified” to see one boy had lost the ends of his toes and added that “the tears were running down my face and I made a promise to myself to help these people.”

Mrs Austin suffered 10 strokes nine years ago which, she said, inspired her to do more work to help other people.

She said: “You don’t hear anything about their plight on the television. I feel I am their only voice. That is the responsibility I feel and that is what drives me.”

To support the auction contact Mrs Austin on 01299 272828 or 07866 517320.