Public health expert Andrew Rivett has been fundraising for an Aids project in India - now he is travelling out there to lend a helping hand...

WHEN Andrew Rivett learned about a special charity project helping Aids victims in India, he decided to do far more than just put his hand in his pocket.

Instead of offering a donation to the New Hope Rural Community Trust, Andrew, 52, decided to get on his bike and raise money with a sponsored cycle ride.

He chose to cycle more than 200 miles in a journey that took him from Cornwall, through Devon back to Southampton.

"The furthest I had ever cycled before this event was about 20 or 30 miles so this was quite a challenge but I stopped en route at a few pubs so it wasn't that bad," said Andrew, who lives in Merry Oak.

He was inspired to saddle up after hearing Jill Ghanouni speak about the projects in India funded by the New Hope Rural Community Trust.

Twenty years after she first became involved, Jill has raised thousands of pounds to help those living with leprosy and handicapped children who find themselves ostracised from Indian society.

This summer she travelled with her 15-year-old daughter Amber to visit some of the projects she has helped to fund - and now Andrew is set to follow in their footsteps.

"Twenty-five years ago I spent 18 months in Northern Nigeria working with people suffering from leprosy.

"I heard Jill speaking at our church about the New Hope Trust and she inspired me to get involved," he said.

Andrew's sponsored cycle ride raised £1,000 and the money will go towards a new aero-solar generator project at a children's Aids hospice in Kothavalasa in Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India.

In a few days' time, Andrew will travel to the hospice to help fit the solar energy panels - and he is looking forward to the challenge.

"I am a passionate believer in renewable energy and I am so glad the money will go towards this combined solar and wind energy project.

"I didn't want to just go out there and be a drain - I wanted to go there with something to give," he said.

The hospice is often hit by power cuts and they can be without electricity for hours at a time. As well as being unpleasant for the children to endure, the lack of power can put their lives at risk.

"When they lose the power, the refrigerator where they store the children's HIV drugs is affected.

"They try to use a generator when they have a power cut but it's noisy and expensive to use so it is far better to use sustainable power," said Jill.

As well as helping to set up the solar and wind power at the hospice, Andrew is also interested to see how they are dealing with the Aids virus.

"I am a public health doctor working in Southampton for the health authority and my work involves helping people to avoid getting ill through infectious diseases.

"I am going to India to find out more about how they are dealing with Aids and from a professional point of view I am also interested in what is happening with leprosy and TB.

"I want to come back with a better understanding of what is happening in a different part of the world," he said.

The work of the New Hope Rural Community Trust is ongoing and Jill is keen to hear from any local companies who might like to sponsor projects such as the combined wind and solar power project that Andrew is overseeing.

"If there are any local companies interested in sponsoring or supplying equipment for projects such as this sustainable energy one, then I would love to hear from them," she said.

Contact Jill on 023 8039 4313 or jill.ghanouni@hotmail.com