A COURAGEOUS Monifieth grandmother who built a school and clinic in Kenya has helped more than 2000 poor families and orphaned children.

Gill Smith (56) set up the school in the bush, 20km from the coastal city of Malindi, in 2004 and the clinic a year later. The project is part-funded by herself and donations from friends and parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Broughty Ferry.

But Mrs Smith’s commitment to improving the lives of some of the poorest people on the planet does not stop there. She intends to focus on helping street children in Tanzania, where she now lives, when she travels back to Africa next week.

“I went on holiday in 1997 for one week. I liked the country so went back to get it out of my system but it had the opposite effect,” she said, “I will do this forever and will never permanently come back, not even in a box.”

She returned in 1998 and, despite being attacked and robbed on the first day, worked with deprived children and families until February, when her focus shifted to Tanzania.

Dama Tsangwa (20) is one of Mrs Smith’s success stories. When they met around eight years ago, Dama was confined to crutches as the result of a deformed foot, suffered from sickle cell disease and chronic heart problems.

Dama’s mother and father could not afford to send her to hospital but with Mrs Smith’s help she is now able to walk unaided and is studying at boarding school.

Mrs Smith hopes to bring Dama to Britain so she can receive help from specialist doctors for her heart condition. Only two of her heart valves work normally.

Anyone wishing to help Mrs Smith by donating soft, light toys or clothes or with a financial contribution can contact her at gilly1551 @yahoo.co.uk.