James just keeps on helping (From Penarth Times)

James just keeps on helping

PENARTH man James Radford confessed he feels "useless" when he"s not making a difference to the lives of poverty stricken Africans.

And that is why the 71-year-old from Redlands Road is returning to the country just five months after his last visit.

Mr Radford, who has visited the continent countless times over the past ten years, has done so much for deprived Kenyan people.

But his achievements could not have been fulfilled without the generous contributions of Penarth people.

The great-grandfather last visited the country in December, returning just a few weeks ago.

Already he is planning ways to raise money.

He received a flying lesson from his family for his last birthday. And now, the self confessed rollercoaster-phobic is considering going back to the flying centre in Usk, and attempting 20 loops in a glider - to raise money for his charity.

"If I can do something to raise money then I will do it," he said.

"With the money I could do so much good for people. I could get a 65ft well built for £1,000 which would provide a village with pure, clean drinking water."

During Mr Radford"s latest trip, he visited little Moses, the one-year-old who was born without femurs or kneecaps.

Mr Radford, a former businessman, had previously paid for Moses to have an operation on one of his legs.

This time, he brought over £2,000 for the tot to have an operation on the other limb. Moses, who lives in Mombassa with his family, has had up to 20 operations.

"Moses is coming on very well," said Mr Radford.

"One leg is complete and they were starting on the other leg when I left. By next year he should be walking.

"Now he just shuffles around on his bottom. But he is such a happy little boy."

Mr Radford said that on Christmas Day, he visited an orphanage, which he set up a few years ago.

He said £10 paid for a party for the 36 youngsters, as well as a cake. And after that the children took place in a 40km race, which Mr Radford said they finished effortlessly.

He gave the winner a voucher that was equivalent to £4 - a week"s wages for them.

Before Mr Radford left Africa, he presented the ten families who live in Moses" village with food parcels which would last them a week.

"They were bewildered why this funny white man was giving stuff away," he said.

"No-one had ever done anything like this for them before.

"These people don"t want nice cars and nice house - they just want to be able to survive," he added.

"People think that I"m mad but I don"t see anything wrong with their lives. I don"t want to spoil the way they live from day to day - I just want to go out there and help them to survive."

* If you would like to support Mr Radford"s charity, you can donate money to his Kenyan Children"s Charity at HSBC bank in Penarth.