TO raise £15,000 by December 15 to help provide water to an African village, two women in Sidmouth are drumming up support for a children s concert they are organising.

TO raise £15,000 by December 15 to help provide water to an African village, two women in Sidmouth are drumming up support for a children's concert they are organising.

The Buturi Water Project was launched by Sidmouth shopkeeper Judith Smith to sink a bore hole in her home village in Tanzania, as well as provide education facilities.

Now she has teamed up with actress Deidre Dee of Water Lane, to involve schoolchildren from seven up in Jambo Tanzania at Manor Pavilion Theatre, Sidmouth, and in Exmouth, to raise the £15,000 needed for the bore hole.

Produced and directed by Deirdre, a professional theatre director and event manager, around 80 children will take to the stage at Manor Pavilion Theatre on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29 and 100 children from Exmouth will perform Jambo Tanzania at Exmouth Pavilion on Monday, December 1.

Deirdre said: "Some of the children are making fantastic 3D animal masks. The show is a mix of African song, dance, poetry and stories.

"Once I have done the show and it works there is no reason why it should not be taught to other kids."

She and Judith met heads from Sidmouth schools this week to discuss the show's format. Each school will separately rehearse what they are given to learn.

Sidmouth pupils taking part are from Sidmouth Infants, All Saints Infants, St Nicholas Junior School, and primary schools at Branscombe, Sidbury, Otterton and Newton Poppleford.

Judith and Deirdre are looking for sponsorship to help cover the costs involved in staging the shows and for T-shirts for the performers to mark 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation.

Tickets, costing £10.50, are available from Sidmouth's Village Collection shop, schools involved and online from Exmouth Pavilion.

Sixthformers at Sidmouth College have a two-year project to raise funds for Buturi and it is hoped some may visit the village.

Other Buturi fundraisers have been organised, including a Fair Trade craft fair at St Stephen's Church, Exeter, from 10am to 5.30pm on Friday, October 24, and an information stand selling Buturi branded items at Guildhall Shopping Centre, Exeter, on October 21 and November 1.