A BLANDFORD Lance Corporal has set up an educational charity to build a library and IT suite for his hometown in rural Ghana.

Nyame Ayeh Assuon, known as Sony, moved to Britain as a student at 24 and later joined the army.

Now 36 and an IT professional in the Royal Corps of Signals Sony has set up the Assuon Foundation Trust (AFT) to support children's education in Nsuaem village in the western region of Ghana.

Hearing of the Ghanaian’s efforts the Dorset-based cyber-security company,C31A Solutions has donated £2,000 to Sony’s cause along with the promise of on-going support.

Sony, said: "I am so grateful to C3IA Solutions for their support and donation it will make a huge difference to so many people. As an IT professional within the Royal Corps of Signals, I felt that I had a lot more to offer the community where I was raised and educated."

Over the past few years Sony has been working hard fundraise £35,000 to fund the library and IT suite which will serve 10 schools and 3,500 children.

He said: "With the corruption, money donated goes to the wrong people, but with AFT, there is no third party involvement hence all money donated will go towards the library project and will be spent properly.

"When I go there I tell the children that I was like them and now I’m a communications systems engineer in the British Army, currently reading a foundation degree programme with the University of Bournemouth.

"I tell them that they should follow their dreams, and this starts with education, but it would be so much easier for them if they had a library and computers."

Matt Horan, security director of C3IA Solutions and former Royal Signaller himself, met Sony along with fellow director Keith Parsons.

He said: "Sony came to see us and showed us photos of his home town and explained what he wanted to do. We decided at once to get on board and make a donation.

"We said that we’ll also help out with storage units for the equipment during the building process. Sony has managed to set up a registered charity, learned how to build a website himself, got mayors and MPs to support him and organises fundraising events.

"He is quite an inspiration and he is pleading with the general public for support. I hope others get behind him."

For more information visit: www.assuonfoundationtrust.org.uk