IT WAS a "Mr and Mrs" walk and every step raised money to help children in one of the most poverty-stricken corners of the world.

Eastleigh Lions Club president Devan Kandiah, aged 65, and his wife Bridget, 59, pulled on their walking boots and covered 49 miles of the Test Way - taking them from Berkshire down to Totton.

The couple's sponsored walk, which took three days, raised £2,000 for the Fair Oak- based St Thomas' Handshake to Kware Appeal.

Kware, a disease-ridden suburb of Nairobi in Kenya, was in danger of becoming a forgotten corner of the world.

It was the congregation of St Thomas that sowed the seeds for a remarkable fundraising effort which has grown far beyond Fair Oak.

Although there is still much to do, it has brought about a medical miracle and educational revolution in the Kware slums.

It was a moving talk given by Benn Mugisha at a Eastleigh Lions Club meeting that convinced Devan that he needed to do something to help.

Benn and his wife Hellen have been overseeing the medical and educational improvements which have brought new hope to the shanty town dwellers.

The couple, who are currently in Hampshire visiting the 22 schools and many other organisations linked to the Kware appeal, received the cheque for £2,000 from Devan and Bridget in a ceremony at Eastleigh's Holiday Inn.

Benn said: "I feel very humbled and moved by the support we have had."

He also praised the Daily Echo for its coverage of the Kware appeal and added: "Every story that appears brings more support."

Devan recalled how Benn's talk to the Lions Club had left them challenged with the humanitarian need to help children in the slums of Nairobi.

He said: "Benn elaborated on the dire hardship. The appalling living conditions included streets running with sewage and the absence of clean water."

Devan and Bridget, who live in Fair Oak, were helped in hitting their fundraising target by Lion Club members and friends who had taken sponsorship forms.