A POOLE reverend was back home for Easter following a mercy mission to beleaguered rural Zimbabwe.

The Revd Alan Clarredge distributed than one-and-a-half tonnes of medicine and water purification systems to Zimbabwean hospitals, clinics and orphanages.

Mr Clarredge established the Poole-based Rivers of Water charity after working as a medical technician in the troubled African nation throughout the 1980s.

His most famous patient was the country’s first lady – wife of despot Robert Mugabe – Sally Francesca Hayfron, who was affectionately known as Sally Mugabe.

Following his UK return, Mr Clarredge told the Daily Echo how he’d visited a string of clinics to ensure they had clean, safe water.

“Mpilo Central Hospital has continued to experience many breakdowns in its water supplies over the past 12 months,” he explained. “Once again four out of the five purifiers had become totally blocked with sediment from the city supply.”

Meanwhile, his visit came just in time for patients at Binga Hospital.

The water purification system at this clinic, in a malaria and cholera infected area, had failed the night before the reverend arrived.

“The hospital was without any drinkable water,” he revealed. “I speedily finished the work and within several hours they had pure water once again.”

At Monde village school, home to scores of Zimbabwean orphans, there were wild celebrations as food and medical supplies arrived.

Mr Clarredge said: “I gave them food and sweets whilst we watched the children eat their freshly cooked sadza.

“There is a chance of extending the village water supply to the school and we are looking at the possibility of this. We estimate $1,500 should cover this… maybe next year?”

Mr Clarredge, of Rossmore Gospel Church, also trained locals to maintain the water purification systems.

He said: “My final job was rebuilding the neglected water supply to the HIV laboratories. This took most of my final day but was well worth it.”