A Gwynedd grandmother has spoken of the success and sadness she felt travelling to Rwanda to complete a HIV project.

Chairman and founder of Compassion Direct UK, Ros Grant, who lives in Dolgellau, travelled to Rwanda last month to sign off a project designed to save the lives of mothers with HIV.

The project has overcome many obstacles since its inception a few days before the UK shut down from Covid in 2020.

Ros, 77, said: “Word got round the village of Nyagacyamo in the rural area of eastern Rwanda that the new Sewing Cooperative for women with HIV was opening.

“Not including the dozens of children who watched through all the windows and doors, 80 people attended.

“The great sadness was that only three of the original 70 HIV mothers who had asked for the workshop three years ago, before Covid, attended the ceremony. We did not know but suspected their fate.”

The opening was otherwise a joyous occasion, with drums and dancing followed the presentations from project manager, Evan, Ro and two pastors.

“The workshop will enable women with HIV to learn a trade and make clothes to sell at the market so that they are able to buy food to take with their medication and survive to look after their children,” Ros explained.

“Currently, no one will work with them as they are afraid of catching HIV, so the women can’t work and starve, leaving orphans to roam the jungle village, unless they are taken in by other villagers as there are no orphanages in this remote area.”

Ros added: “Before the inauguration day we met with the head of the district who came to see the building. He was delighted with our work, especially the solar lighting and natural ventilation.

“The sewing workshop will be a lifeline for the women and children.”

In 2020, Compassion Direct UK - in discussion with the village - decided to build the workshop large enough to be used as an occasional overflow from the Church School where children of all ages were learning together.

“Imagine the noise!” said Ros.

“Sadly, during Covid, the Church School closed because a USA food programme terminated when Bishop Enock, the leader of the church, passed away suddenly in the midst of the pandemic with a throat tumour,” Ros explained.

“The incentive to attend school had been one meal a day – often the only food children would receive - and when that ceased, together with pressures of Covid restriction the children drifted away and the church stands silent except on Sundays.”

Pastor Phillipe told Ros he would be only too glad to start the school again were the food programme to be reinstated.

Compassion Direct UK would like to reinstate the food programme but need a minimum income of £500 a month for the project.

“The sewing workshop now has four machines and a teacher who will initially hold three classes a week,” said Ros, “but until we can afford to buy more machines, she is limited to teaching three women in each class – nine a week. We need more machines!”

Compassion Direct UK installed two water harvesting tanks at the Church School in 2021; previously people had to walk seven miles for clean water. Now they have installed the sewing workshop.

“We want to fully equip the workshop, reintroduce the food programme, and sink a well so that the whole village has access to water,” said Ros.

“Will you help us with our endeavours? We are all volunteers so our overheads are very low and almost all you donate goes to fund self-help projects.”

Ros says there are three ways readers can help.

Trainee sewers at the sewing workshop need recycled material to practice on; new material is too expensive for beginners and there will be many beginners, so you can donate unwanted duvets and sheets.

Cut off the seams at the top and bottom of the sheets and cut a double sheet into three long strips, a single into two and post in under two kilo parcels to the church in Rwanda.

Label the parcel for customs as Sewing Strips, because otherwise they will not be allowed into the country.

Contact Ros at compassiondirectuk.org.uk for the address or visit www.compassiondirectuk­.org

“We need 100 special people to make a standing order to CDUK of £5 per month,” said Ros, “then we can afford to feed 150 children a day with a food programme at the village and save many lives. Standing order forms can be found at www.compassiondirectuk.org

Finally, you can donate to CDUK without paying a thing. Shop online and big brands donate to Compassion Direct UK. Sign up and create your account at www.easyfundraising.org.uk and choose to donate to Compassion Direct UK.

Follow Compassion Direct UK on Facebook for all their latest news.

You can also support the charity’s crowdfunder at crowdfunder.co.uk/bishop-enock-memorial-fund---rwanda