A FARMING community has been thanked for answering an SOS call from Tanzania to help a scattered African community ditch the ritual of making their daily bread by hand.

Members of churches in the Fountains area near Ripon raised £3,190 in weeks to buy milling machinery for people in Lindi.

They have now bought the machinery, a rice huller and maize mill and are now building do-it-yourself premises to house their equipment.

The curate at the Fountains Group of Parishes, the Reverend Matthew Evans, raised money by being sponsored to pull pints in the Crown Inn at Grewelthorpe.

Meanwhile, the Rector of Fountains, Canon Tony Keddie, went on a sponsored walk of old mills in the area.

Other cash came in from church collections and donations.

Mr Evans said: "The appeal certainly captured the imagination of the community. It was a case of a need seen, money raised, internationally transferred, received, the problem solved and great joy given."

The Reverend Jerome Mshamu, from the Diocese of Masasi, wrote: "On behalf of the congregation and church leaders I have to express our thankfulness for your kindness and love to us."