Her name is Denise Kennedy, she's a retired teacher who went to Kenya on and "fell in love with it". The children she met, in particular, really touched her heart and she came home determined to do something about it.

So began what is now Food For Thought, Africa (FFTA), a registered charity since last year, and now with a thriving gallery at 216 Lisburn Road, Belfast.

FFTA is an entirely voluntary organisation, meaning their funds go directly to those in need. Indeed, they guarantee that one pound feeds one child for one month. Moreover, they say £12 a year will keep a child in school and keep him/her out of poverty for life. On reflection, that's quite something — and all for only 25p a week.

The African Art Gallery, a lovely, bright space, has been provided rent free, the paintings and framing are sponsored and all paintings are created by African artists, some of whom are quite well known in Kenya. Jeff Wambugu, for example, has had numerous exhibitions as has Willie Wamuti and Elisha Ongere.

The work is bold and colourful with a wonderful sense of movement and pattern, all inspired by nature and African life. Big, bold zebras hang beside figures in bright flowing clothing. A bird becomes a pattern as does perhaps a lizard or a tree and sometimes the artists reflect injustices and diseases around them.

With the success of this project the women of FFTA (chiefly Denise Kennedy and Maeve Marnell) have been encouraged to reach into Rwanda where they departed for this week, and hope to return from with a number of paintings from new artists.

The whole project is totally inspirational and still running on a shoestring. In their own words: "Our vision is an Africa free from poverty. Our mission is to overcome poverty in Africa through education." Well, if that isn't food for thought I don't know what is. New ideas and help are always welcome. Contact Denise at www.foodforthoughtafrica.org .

elizabethobaird@googlemail.com