TWO very special guests travelled some 4,500 miles to pay a visit to Redditch, ahead of preparations for a fundraising concert in aid of their small rural village in Tanzania.

Trustees of Redditch charity Mission Morogoro, based on Callow Hill, welcomed Bishop Godfrey Sehaba and Rev Peter Mkengi from Tunguli, Tanzania, earlier this month.

The charity has provided aid to the poor rural village for five years, and hopes its concert in support of their ‘Water for Life’ project on Saturday, October 28, will raise even more funds.

Mission Morogoro’s chairman Rev John Green said: “This is an exciting time for Mission Morogoro and the Bishop’s visit was an opportunity for us all to strengthen our commitment to work closely together as friends and partners.

“Bishop Godfrey expressed his profound thankfulness for the way in which Mission Morogoro has changed the lives of so many in Tunguli village.

“He said how good it was to spend time with us here in the UK and expressed his overwhelming support for our ‘Water for Life’ project.

“Together we are looking forward to exciting progress over the coming months.”

Villagers in Tunguli often walk long distances and wait for several hours to fill buckets with water that is contaminated and carries increased risk of water-borne diseases.

Money raised from the concert will support a new project to provide a clean and reliable water supply for Tunguli village and its surrounding hamlets.

The concert takes place at St John the Baptist Church in Fekenham and costs £10 a ticket.

For entry, call Tricia Mortimer on 07814939123.