HAMPSHIRE charity worker Roger Green - nearly killed in a flash flood three months ago while working on an irrigation project in Africa - is home with his family at last.

The 60-year-old former fireman is enjoying his Lyndhurst garden with his wife Sally - a world away from the 120-degree heat of the deserts and mountains of northern Kenya, where Roger has been living while he worked on the Ngororoi Water Project.

The scheme to pipe water to bring a desert area back to life - supported by Testwood Baptist Church in Totton, where Roger and Sally are members - has been completed.

But it began with potential disaster. As Roger and two other mission workers drove from the Kenyan capital Nairobi to their work site on Mount Kulal their vehicle became bogged down in a river bed.

As a flash flood headed their way they jumped for their lives with seconds to spare. The Land Cruiser was found the next day smashed beyond repair.

"We were lucky.

"Just two days after we lost our car, a teenage boy and a mother and baby all drowned trying to ford the river at the same place," said Roger.

Roger and his friends lost their vehicle, computer, cameras, food and several thousand pounds which was meant to pay their irrigation workers.

"We managed to salvage a lot of our tinned food, but all the labels had been washed off so mealtimes were a complete lottery."

Sally said: "I am very glad to have him back in one piece and I'm proud that he and the others were able to see the project through after that bad start.

"Roger is very gifted, a good man in a crisis.

"And luckily by the time I heard what had happened at the river it was all over and there was nothing to worry about."

Roger will be talking about his irrigation project at Testwood Baptist Church, Salisbury Road, Totton, at 6pm on Sunday.