AFRICAN shopkeeper Judith Smith has launched a project to provide drinking water in her home village of Buturi.

AFRICAN shopkeeper Judith Smith has launched a project to provide drinking water in her home village of Buturi.Last August, Mrs Smith and husband, Tony, returned to the village in Northern Tanzania to meet its elders.Her mother, Regina Oluoch, is village matriarch and struggling with the impact of poverty, AIDS and drought."Drilling of a borehole for clean water was the top priority," said Mrs Smith.The well, estimated to cost £12-£15,000, will allow irrigation, meaning villagers can grow and sell crops to generate an income.The Smiths also plan to help provide a nursery and a youth centre."The village needs to tackle the problem from the basics," said Mrs Smith, who has support from the Rotary Club of Sidmouth and Crealy, which has installed two Roundabout PlayPumps in Mozambique."I saw a window of opportunity for Sidmouth and Buturi to work as a team. The area offers a lot in terms of education and resources and I am involving Sidmouth College to see how we can move the project forward."Rotary president Ray Davies said: "The village is like many whose water is supplied through a well and needs to be purified."Sidmouth Rotarians have raised money for a well in Africa but Mr Davies was unsure if it could be used for the Buturi project.He said: "Sidmouth is going to put a well in a village somewhere in Tanzania. I would like it to be Judith's but I don't think they have a club that can support the funding."Tickets are £20 and available from The Village Collection or by calling the shop (01395) 513311.Mrs Smith, who runs The Village Collection, in Sidmouth High Street, is hosting A Taste of Tanzania at Knowle on Saturday, March 15, at 6pm. Tickets are £20 from the shop.