RWANDAN genocide survivor Odette Kayirere visited Dorset to thank people here for their support for her work with survivors.

She was guest of third world development agency, Msaada, which runs programmes in primary and secondary education, honey production and other forms of income-generation in Rwanda.

She met with many friends and supporters during her 10-day visit to Dorset, which included visits to The Grange School, Christchurch, Talbot Heath in Bournemouth and Shaftesbury School.

Odette spoke to students about her experiences during the time of the genocide and her work with widows and orphans in Rwanda in the aftermath of the horrors that ravaged the country in 1994.

A team of sixth form students from the UK will again be travelling to Rwanda this year to help the work of Msaada.

They will learn more of the genocide and teach in schools whilst hearing more of the testaments of survivors and seeing at first hand the positive effect that sustainable projects assisted by Msaada have had on communities there.

Msaada in North Dorset has been supporting Odette’s widows’ and orphans’ association, AVEGA, since 2005 and has provided almost £160,000 in aid which goes directly to the communities in eastern Rwanda that need it most.

For more information on Msaada and its work in Rwanda log onto www.msaada.org