A GOLDEN-HEARTED couple who have dedicated themselves to helping impoverished children in Africa are holding a special Christmas breakfast appeal.

Retired Sue and Ron Hayes, from Windle, launched a charity, Africa’s Children in Education (ACE), to help provide education and a better life for the youngsters.

Having visited both Kenya and Tanzania, they have recently devoted their time to their latest project of building a new school on the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

Arise School opened in January of last year and had two classrooms with a third currently being built. Sue and Ron paid a visit in September to check on progress, with completion of the classroom due in January.

There are currently 88 children at the school and hunger is a huge problem in the area with many seeing their mid-morning porridge as their only meal of the day.

“The room should be ready for proper use for the new school year there in January,” says Sue, 66.

“We want to use the Christmas season to raise money for breakfast for the children. They’ve got happy faces but their tummies are swollen and malnourishment is a big problem there.

"It will cost £20 to feed one child for a year so we need to raise around £2,000.”

Following the classroom, the next aim for ACE is to build a new kitchen for the school cook, Atu which will cost in the region of £3,000.

“I think it’s brilliant to see the school coming together and it’s a privilege to see them getting the benefits from it and the pleasure they get from it.

“But you come away with a sadness that they are all living in such circumstances.”

Sue and Ron are also looking to local schools here to help with the appeal and recently received a donation of £254.54 from Queens Park Primary School who helped afford new shoes for the children.

To make a donation to the ‘Breakfast Appeal’ contact Sue and Ron on ACEcharity@aol.com or call 01744 28535.