THE plight of orphans in Kenya touched the hearts of a York couple who were caught up in the violence in the country.

Claire Gargan and Dylan Glasper, who live in Bootham and run the Millers Yard health and education centre, in Gillygate, found children living with AIDS and HIV after being abandoned and abused. Others were using a hole in the ground as a toilet.

The couple headed over to the country on December 30 for a holiday, but also to hand over money and goods to a school they have been collecting for.

But on arriving in the port of Mombasa they were given an armed guard and were unable to get anywhere and the school was closed because of the violence.

So instead, along with two friends, they visited local orphanages to distribute the gifts they had brought to the children there. Their experiences have now led them to begin raising money for both the orphanages they saw.

Claire said: "We ended up doing supermarket food runs for the orphanages as they had been unable to get out for a few days. At the first orphanage, run by an Englishwoman called Joan, the children mainly have HIV or AIDS and have been abandoned or abused.

"There was one particular girl called Hope who was four-years-old who really fell in love with us. She had been taken in a year ago when her mother died. She has full-blown AIDS and can't speak because of the trauma she has suffered. When she came in she was nearly dead."

Another girl who had been brought in had suffered severe burns. Her family had poured boiling water over her believing it would cure her of HIV. She died two days later.

Claire said that without tourism, the donations may well dry up leaving the orphanages struggling to provide food and shelter for their charges. The problem is exacerbated as food is doubling in price because of the recent violence and political upheaval.

At the second orphanage they visited, called Swabur, the 44 boys and girls were cared for by one man. The children had no shoes and were sleeping in one room that also doubled as a classroom and somewhere to eat. Food is cooked over a fire and the toilet is a hole in the ground.

Claire said: "We took them pens, clothes and lollies and they were so grateful and so happy. The orphanage can't become a registered charity until the guy gets a toilet."

She said foundations are in place for a classroom and a lavatory, but £2,000 is needed to actually construct the buildings.

Because of this, Claire and Dylan now want to help both orphanages. They are wanting family and friends to set up a standing order of about £10 a month to help the children in Joan's orphanage and with two friends from Wales they hope to raise the £2,000 for the second orphanage.

To this end, they are organising a fundraising night in March featuring performances from local bands The Players, Mr Parker and The Mothers who are all giving their services for free.

When fully arranged, further details of the fundraising night will be published in The Press.