AN East Lancashire charity is fighting to provide food, clean water and education to orphaned children in Sri Lanka.

The Al-Imdaad Foundation, which has a base in Blackburn, has recently completed a fact-finding mission to the country to discover how best to help those most in need in rural areas.

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The charity, which was founded in 2003, is aiming support around 200 youngsters over the next 12 months with their education and also provide water pumps and distribute food where it is needed.

Already 40 hand water pumps have been flown out to the country at a cost of £120 each.

The team returned to the UK two weeks ago and hasve set about planning the next stages of the three projects.

Blackburn-based Hafez Abdussamad Mulla, the country director for the UK, said: “The response to these schemes has been fantastic and we do not usual get this level of support from people so soon.

“We are setting about trying to get the word out now but already we have had a lot of donations.

“The number of hand pumps that have already gone out there is fantastic and will make a real difference.

“People at the moment are cleaning their clothes and their pots and pans with dirty river water and we want to stop that as much as we can.

“We are also aiming to educate hundreds of orphaned children out there to the standards of the local area.

“The rural areas of the country just don’t have any support and you can tell that when you go there and see the situation on the ground for yourself.

“Food is also going to be sent because that is in very short supply and sewing machines will be sent because we want people to have the chance to make theirre own clothes or start their own businesses.

“At the end of the day we want people to build a sustainable future instead of relying on us for help.”

Former Blackburn mayor, Cllr Salim Mulla, said: “I applaud their efforts and actions and they are a wonderful humanitarian organisation that helps people across the globe.

“They helped me during my mayoral year to raise money for a new kidney machine at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

“They do some amazing work and they are a credit to the area.”