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Village thanks for £20K gift

Adam Derbyshire
25/ 4/2007

A PLEDGE of £20,000 has finally been delivered to villagers in malaria-hit Kiagware after Tameside Council managed to free itself from a tangle of red tape.

The donation was promised two years ago by council chiefs "deeply moved" by a documentary on the Kenyan village's plight, but town hall bosses have been left frustrated by bureaucratic hold-ups in Africa.

They blamed the delay on difficulties in finding a charity which agreed to spend the money in Kiagware only.

However, the council has convinced an aid agency to take on its request and the cash is now in place.

On Tuesday Charles Tineger, headteacher of Kiagware Secondary School, met mayor Councillor Margaret Sidebottom at the end of a fortnight-long stay in Tameside.

He thanked locals for the money and explained how much of a difference it would make in the village, where the average weekly wage is just £10.

"At least two children in my school die every year from malaria," he said. "Mosquitoes are rampant in Kiagware because they thrive off the sugar cane plantations. In July we have severe problems so the money is vital.

"With the £20,000 we can pay for doctors to visit parts of Kiagware and deliver medication. In Kiagware some still prefer to go to the 'quacks' who practise herbal medicine. The money will enable us to deliver talks and re-educate people of the importance of using proper medication."

Councillor Sidebottom said: "I lived in Lagos when I was ten when my father worked overseas.

"My mother contracted malaria and was very sick for a fortnight so I know first-hand what a terrible disease it is.

"The delays have been frustrating but it's fantastic to see it in place in time for the mosquito season in July. We hope the cash will help save many lives this year."