THANKS were given yesterday to hundreds of Teesdale residents who have improved life for people in a poverty-stricken African village.

Retired teacher Joyce Jackson has returned from her fourth visit to Tanzania, where she saw how families are benefiting from cash raised by people living in and around Middleton-in-Teesdale.

"It was wonderful to see how all the money raised here is helping them," said Mrs Jackson after she arrived home from Kilimatinde, a remote community in the east African country.

She has sent thousands of pounds there in the past few years, all raised at coffee mornings, concerts, domino drives, jumble sales, garden fetes and raffles in Teesdale, plus some help from friends in Weardale.

On the latest trip, she saw progress on upgrading the village school and hospital wards, along with three new projects.

A dam has been built, which has enabled villagers to nurture vegetable gardens, mango plots and fruit trees on land that had once been too dry.

The fruit trees have, in turn, led to the launch of a bee-keeping scheme, with 220 hives producing honey, which is sold to help support orphans.

A blood bank is working continuously in the hospital, enabling an HIV unit to be opened.

Mrs Jackson, who was a teacher in Africa before she retired, said: "All these things have come about directly as a result of money raised in this area

"It was wonderful to see how things have improved in Kilimatinde.

"I want everyone here to know how much good they are doing, and to give them my heartfelt thanks."

She is continuing to raise money for future projects and was recently given £183 by Betty Walton and Ian Watson, who collected the money while playing their accordion and keyboard, in Barnard Castle, at the weekend.

Mrs Jackson said: "A lot of help is still needed there, in the hospital and school, so I still aim to go on raising as much as I can.

"It will all be put to good use."