When Eric Toll, MD of 123Telecom, booked a fortnight holiday in Kenya he did not expect it to be the start of a big charity push in aid of a village he visited with no electricity, mains water and no sewage system.

Toll commented: "Among this chaos were hundreds of children with the biggest smiles on their faces dressed in rags. All they wanted was to touch us, hug us and cling on to us. It was such a humbling experience to see how happy they all were despite having nothing. We couldn't walk away and pretend we had never seen this."

Toll is aiming to raise £2,500 to bring mains water into the village, provide a water tower and storage tank. "This is a modest amount to raise for the difference it makes," said Toll. "100% of which will go directly to source."

He is also on a mission to raise £40,000 to build a safe house for children in Meru (170 miles north of Nairobi). The money is being routed through the registered charity Harambee for Kenya and through the use of the Just Giving website. 123Telecom, an O-bit Telecom partner, is covering many costs for the charity, including telecoms, web hosting and postage for fundraising mail shots.