Knit aid for African villages

7:00pm Monday 17th September 2007

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A WOMAN'S mission to help African villages become self-sufficient has prompted scores of volunteers to start knitting.

Pat Monks, 54, came up with the idea to help a variety of villages in Cameroon.

Pat, of Holden Fold, Darwen, enlisted the help of friends, family, neighbours and youngsters at Lower Darwen Primary School, Lower Darwen, to create jumpers for children in Africa.

Now, along with her team. she is expected to fly to Cameroon in November give the jumpers to children along with other donations including teddy bears.

Pat has been helping the homeless in Africa since the misery she saw while on holiday. She said: "Broken Arcs is to about helping remote villages in Cameroon become self-sufficient.

"We've been able to help widows and children and provide water pumps, clothing, spades and a corn grinder."

Although the country has a tropical climate, it gets cold at night and the areas around Mount Cameroon have almost constant rainfall.

Lower Darwen Neighbour-hood Learning Planning group helped teach pupils at Lower Darwen Primary School to knit. And over the past few months a total of 250 jumpers have been created.

Pat carries out her charitable work under Broken Arcs, a charity project she set up and has been working with the villagers over the past nine years. The Lower Darwen pupils are now looking to create blankets for homeless children.

Coun Alan Cottam, execu-tive member for regen-eration, said: "This is a fantastic way of knitting together so much goodwill."

Pat accepts cash donations and teddy bears which she either sells at car boot sales to raise extra funds or donates to the children in the village.

Anyone who can help or has a donation can contact Pat on 01254 775358.