Holiday became a mission (From Penarth Times)

Holiday became a mission

A PENARTH man who has devoted his retirement to helping Kenyan orphans find a better life has revealed the inspiration for his efforts came when he discovered a friend of his had cancer.

James Radford, 68, lives on Redlands Road and has been instrumental in finding a new home for 22 desperate Kenyan orphans.

Three years ago James discovered the 22 living in appalling conditions in a Kenyan orphanage.

He said: "When I first went to see the home they were living in it was a disgrace. "The people who ran the orphanage were not passing on money to the children or giving out the food they needed."

James decided to move the children himself even though he had no permission to do so. A house was found for the 22, aged six to 16, and the rent has been paid for a year, but now James wants to raise enough money to buy the house for them.

A former owner of R B Furnishings, in Penarth, James decided on the spur of the moment to retire 12 years ago and that's how his charity work began.

He said: "One day I was in my shop and a friend of mine who was a rep came in. He looked very ill, so I asked him what was wrong.

"He was reluctant to say but eventually told me he had been diagnosed with nose cancer. "On that day I decided to sell up. I was 56-years-old and I wanted a bit of adventure in my life."

James' wife noticed an advert in a newspaper to go on an adventure in Africa and so her daring husband back-packed through Africa for three months - and fell in love with the country and its people.

Now James' aim is to make the orphans' future more secure which means buying the house they are renting, it costs £12,000.

Any monetary donations for food or other provisions can be made directly to Kenyan Children's Fund, HSBC, Penarth, United Kingdom Acc No 81178075 Sort code 40-36-06.