More than 400 pupils at a school in Zambia have access to a hygienic water supply for the first time thanks to proceeds from Warwickshire dance shows earlier in the year.

Viv Kibble, who runs Leamington and Warwick Academy of Dance and Pointe The Way Ballet School in Solihull, staged two shows in July, raising £1,500 to fund the much-needed water tower at Lukkomano School in Mazabuka.

The fundraising effort followed a five-day trip to the African region, where she brought the gift of dance to hundreds of children. She was joined by her husband, Canon Gavin Kibble MBE, of Coventry-based charity Feed The Hungry UK.

The tower, which took six weeks to build, holds 5,000 litres of water in a tank, which is filled by an electric pump that draws clean water from a borehole. The tank then gravity-feeds water to a tap for drinking and washing.

Hammes Kanondo, Director at the Lukkomano Christian Academy, said: "The Government has been pushing for better hygiene in schools across the country - for students and staff to have access to clean water and flushing toilets. This water tower is the start of this at Lukkomano; we will soon have waterborne toilets and students will also be able to shower after PE lessons."

"We are a school that, at present, is solely supported by donors and so we are very thankful to everyone who has given to make this project happen."

The tower took six weeks to build (image supplied)

Viv said: "It's a privilege to be associated with this project. Our dance students are really thrilled that they can make a positive and pretty instant impact for this school, which now has instant clean running water, sanitation and flushable toilets. What we see as a little, can go a very long way in this community.

"Having met Hamas and Yvonne during my visit in April, it's wonderful to see their vision progress."

The visits to Kenya and Zambia through Feed The Hungry, also saw the couple introduced for the first time, to the new £30,000 school block funded by Gavin's 200-mile trek between St Bees Head in Lancashire and Robin Hood Bay in Yorkshire, last year.

The children at Lukkamano School in Mazabuka, come from very poor homes. Some of these children, orphaned by the AIDS pandemic, live with relatives for whom putting food on the table is a continual challenge.

Such are the numbers of children at the school that teaching time for each child had been halved due to lack of space and facilities. But the new "Gavin Kibble" Block, opened in August last year, means that an additional 200 students can now be accommodated, meeting the criteria to qualify for additional Government funding of teachers.

The trip in April, which ended in Mazabuka, brought them into contact with more than 300 children between the ages of five and 21.

As well as delivering dance workshops, they also took the opportunity to distribute food parcels and handover vital medical equipment and medicines and watched the children take part in some sporting activities.

Feed The Hungry is an international Christian humanitarian organisation committed to fighting hunger due to poverty, war, famine and natural disasters.

The charity works to reduce world hunger by establishing feeding programmes and supporting disaster relief, assisting in feeding over 626,000 children in 29 countries on a regular basis.

Gavin already has his sights set on the next fundraising target. He said: "This is the development of a long-term relationship with Lukkomano School. Every time we go over there you see opportunity to carry on developing. For example, they also need a technical room with IT facilities to be able to offer the children IT education."

For more information about Feed The Hungry or to help or donate, click here or call 01455 618 455 between 9am and 4pm.