Saturday, June 26, 2004

The following is an article which appeared on Leeds Today written by Hebden Bridge's Peter Lazenby

A WEST Yorkshire charity is looking for 500 people with £10 a month to spare - to help 100,000 people in Africa.

Trax Africa gives support to farming communities in Ghana and Togo in West Africa.

The charity, which is based in Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley, helps farmers improve agricultural land and boost crop production, introduce irrigation and develop other ways of enabling them to help themselves.

The charity has launched an appeal for regular funding to make sure its work continues.

Trax, which organised a well-supported West African Festival in its home town of Hebden Bridge in May, is a small charity which relies on the backing of individual supporters.

Director Martin Keat said: "We need the support of people in West Yorkshire to be able to continue to help more than 100,000 people in West Africa each year. Without this support there is a very real chance that we will be unable to continue to provide hope for some of the poorest people in the world. We need 500 people to give us just £10 a month, which would mean each supporter would help improve the lives of 200 people every year for less than £1 each."

Empowering

Calder Valley Labour MP Chris McCafferty, who is chairwoman of the Commons' International Development Select Committee, said: "Trax Africa genuinely helps the rural poor to improve their lives for the future, empowering them to deal with the problems they face on their own terms."

And Jeremy Hardy, the award winning comedian and campaigner said: ''Trax helps some of the poorest people in the world to build a sustainable future for themselves, on their own terms."

Trax Africa is holding its annual meeting this weekend, June 26-27.

For further information call 01422 845000 or see the charity's website at www.traxafrica.org.

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