SIR,

Beacon readers will be aware that Hands Around The world recently sent a container of bicycles and agricultural machinery to Benin in West Africa, to help a charity supporting orphan children.

I spent most of August in Benin and can now bring readers up to date on developments since the container arrived in Cotanou.

Usual customs formalities took several days before the final journey to Affame, a few hours journey northwards, where the charity is based. Affame itself is a very rural town on the banks of the picturesque Oueme river and almost all the inhabitants are engaged in subsistence farming with some money coming in from the sale of palm oil, fish, sand and firewood.

One of the factors limiting agricultural output is the sheer backbreaking work of cultivating the land in an area which, up to now, has not had a single tractor in use. Thus, the donated tractor and plough were soon pressed in to service. Dieu- Donne, who is now driving the tractor, is a trained motor mechanic while Albert is a local farmer. Both proved to be quick learners in the art of tractor operation. It is intended that the tractor be used in a training programme for the orphans, for contract work to help local farmers and raise much needed cash for the orphan project and for transport of building materials for the proposed orphanage.

Distribution of bicycles to orphans of secondary schools has already begun and the Freecycle organ is merrily playing in the local Methodist church.

Bridge Cycles have kindly agreed to act as a collection point for adult (ish) bicycles which are already being collected for the next container to Africa.

More information about Hands Around The World can be found on the web sight at http://www.hatw.org.uk">www.hatw.org.uk, on facebook or by telephoning 01600 740317.

Many thanks to all involved in this on going project.

Dick Wheelock Wonastow.