TEENAGERS in Rwanda who witnessed mass genocide are a step closer to self-sufficiency after a North Dorset organisation saved their college from closure.

Staff at the Subiruseke Vocational Training Centre had been clinging on in the hope financial aid would arrive soon and the money from Msaada arrived just in time.

The £2.5million francs (£2,200) sent by the organisation, which is based in the Blackmore Vale, will pay the salaries of the head teacher, two teachers, a cleaner and a night-guard for 10 months.

Msaada was launched a month ago, with BBC correspondent Fergal Keane as its patron, and aims to provide money, time and skills to help rebuild the shattered lives of the Rwandans.

In a letter of thanks, Odette Kayirere, a charity representative from Rwanda, wrote: "We indeed thank you for having been so much philanthropists.

"We are more pleased to see that you have sought for us another fund which we believe will be helpful for us. We have many things we lack, so this fund will be allocated in, for instance, purchasing the students' equipment."

The genocide in Rwanda came about due to tensions between two ethnic groups: the majority Hutus and minority Tutsi. In 1994 the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down, triggering an attempt by Hutus to eliminate the Tutsi population - around 800,000 people were brutally massacred in just three months. Two thirds of the population there still live below the poverty line.

Msaada has formed personal links with the survivors.

Billy Kelly, chairman of Msaada, who lives in Gillingham, said: "This first instalment of money was raised at a picnic at Gillie Strang's farm Sutton Mandeville, near Tisbury. The people who came to that picnic had a great night - everybody had a ball and on the back of that we were doing something worthwhile.

"It's a small thing for us but for them it's a huge thing.

"We hope to put a few kids in the greatest need through their training.

"Children at the centre will train as seamstresses, carpenters, construction workers and the equipment that will be purchased with the next round of fundraising will enable them to start work."

For details about how you can get involved with Msaada visit www.msaada.org.

First published: August 15