THE residents of a Peeblesshire village were this week praised for the help they have given to some of the poorest communities in the world.

West Linton has staged several events over the last few years to raise funds for the Poverty Relief Foundation.

The charity provides fresh water to poor communities in Tanzania and recently built its 100th well in the east African country.

It was West Linton resident Julie Jackson, the niece of PRF’s founder Raymond Rowan, that made the village aware of the charity.

Will Batchelor, a spokesman for Yorkshire-based PRF, said: “We are a low profile charity and rely on word of mouth for people to know about us. It was great that Julie was able to tell people about us in West Linton.” The village’s youth group recorded a music CD featuring themselves and local artists, and raised more than £1,000 by selling copies for £5 each. This was enough money to construct a well and pump in Rugendagenzi in the Biharamulo area of Kagera. The recorded track was aired on Borders Radio and also played on African radio.

West Linton’s other fundraising activities have included a sponsored “Walk for Africa” in which participants walked two or three miles each way to collect water and bring it back to the village. Overall the efforts have provided funds for a well, a classroom and a rainwater tank.

Mr Rowan said: “On behalf of the people of Tanzania who’ve benefited from these projects, we thank the people of West Linton, and all the people and companies that have kindly donated over the years.

“These donations have directly benefited some of the poorest communities in the world and bring great joy and happiness to many families.” PRF builds wells, rainwater tanks and classrooms in remote villages of Tanzania’s north western region. The charity began building wells in 2005, initially at the rate of five a year, but the efforts have gained momentum and by the end of 2013 they had funded 96 wells, each serving hundreds of under-privileged families in the Kagera region.

“This year, I’m very happy to say, we have passed the one hundred mark,” said Mr Rowan. “When we started constructing the wells nine years ago, I never imagined we would reach even 50, so to get to 100 wells is beyond all expectations.

“The wells we build provide these communities with access to clean, safe water, and one of the major benefits of that is the reduction of water-borne diseases such as malaria, diarrhoea and bilharzia.

“Apart from saving lives, the children have fewer trips to the hospital, which means they can spend more time in school, and less sick days for the adults means they’re able to spend more time cultivating their land, growing crops.

“We want people to have a better life, and the most important thing in life is water. Water is life.” Unlike many charities, PRF guarantees 100 percent of all money donated is used for funding the projects.

Collecting donations from individuals and companies, PRF ensures every penny is used for the projects. The wells are dug by hand by local people, who then appoint a committee to make sure they are maintained, cleaned and kept in good condition.

Each well, costing an average of £2,100, is used by up to 500 families, each averaging eight members, meaning PRF has provided clean drinking water to at least 200,000 poverty-stricken men, women and children.

PRF has also provided nine large rainwater tanks holding up to 150,000 litres and 75 small tanks of 15,000 litres each, which are shared by four or five families in very rural areas.

As well as fresh water projects, PRF also improves education by funding new classrooms, and provides “revolving loan” facilities for groups of women to set up their own businesses.

The charity has to date built 10 permanent classrooms, some of them replacing makeshift shelters where the local children previously took their lessons, and others in villages where there were no educational facilities at all.

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.prf.org.uk