A WOMAN who travels to India every year to help street children is hosting a fundraiser in their aid.

Val Lowe, 58, of Accrington, travels to Goa twice a year with six or seven suitcases filled with items for the children, after being insired to help them while holidaying there four years ago.

The NHS worker has now decided to hold a two-day garage sale in her front garden at the weekend with items from friends, colleagues and neighbours, in aid of Indian children who have to fend for themselves on the streets.

During her visits to Goa she volunteers for the street rescue charity El Shaddai, and her dream is to work in India when she retires, helping children full-time. She says she loves the culture and helping to make a difference. On her trips there, she usually breakfasts with the "Untouchable" women in Goa's gutters, who she describes as "incredible ladies".

She said: "When I was on holiday I happened to meet a lady in Goa who worked for the charity and discovered their shelters and schools help children survive and had opened two schools. I was so moved that people would give so much of their time, getting nothing in return.

"When I was there last Christmas we rescued a newborn baby girl who had been dumped in a dustbin, it was heartbreaking. Because we found her, she will have a birth certificate unlike many Indian children, which means she can go to school and will be raised the orphanages. She's a lucky little girl.

"In the schools we also teach life skills which are essential for children if they are to learn to live on their own. Many children live on the railways but if an inspector comes on the train, they have to be seen to be working, so they take off their tshirts and dust the floors, many times they are just pushed off the slow-moving train.

"The children who live on the streets have to pay gang masters for protection, because they know anything could happen to them at night. Goa is a wonderful place but tourists come and they don't see the dark side of the place."

Miss Lowe has collected hundreds of items for the sale from generous donations. After realising she would have to pay for removal vans to hold the sale, she decided to host the event in her front yard.

For more information on street rescue charity El Shaddai, visit www.childrescue.net The garage sale takes place at 50 Abbey Street, Accrington on Saturday May 17 and Sunday May 18 from 10am onwards.