SOME of the world's most vulnerable orphans will soon be drinking clean water thanks to a charity supported by Derby Telegraph readers.

Aquabox has donated water filter pumps to four orphanages in Kathmandu, Nepal, to help cut diseases.

The pumps can be attached to water mains and have a filter that removes contaminants.

The orphanages will also each get a box of survival equipment, including first aid, cooking tools and crockery.

Wirksworth Rotary Club, which runs the Aquabox scheme, supported by the Derby Telegraph's Give Water, Give Life campaign, agreed to help after hearing that children and babies were drinking contaminated water.

Joyce Buxton, of the Bakewell Rotary Club, said she contacted the Wirksworth branch and asked if it could send some Aquaboxes to the capital.

She said: "The children need a safe supply of water. Orphans are being brought off the street and despite the love and dedication of the staff – which is both wonderful and humbling – they are still having to live in very poor conditions."

Joyce said she had experienced the conditions first-hand after trekking through Kathmandu accompanied by Chandra Prakash Rai, who yesterday was at Aquabox's Cromford depot to learn how to assemble and maintain the filter pumps.

Chandra came to England three years ago to study and will return to Nepal next week.

He said: "The water where I'm from is not as clean as it is here. The water is contaminated with germs and is not good for people's health.

"Aquabox is a brilliant, fantastic, organisation."

Rotary clubs from Wirksworth, Bakewell, Penrith and Kethmandu Metro have all been involved in this latest project.

Joyce said: "It's an impressive example of what can be achieved through working together."

Aquabox sends water-purification kits to victims of natural disasters, wars and poverty.

Our Give Water Give Life campaign has now raised more than £725,000 which has enabled Wirksworth Rotary Club to build up a store of 1,750 water purification kits, meaning its army of volunteers will be able to react to natural disasters as soon as they hit.