A KEEN amateur cricketer is off to Rwanda to teach children about AIDS.

Clive Hawthorn, 47, from Bear Road, will spend a fortnight in the impoverished African country explaining the dangers of unprotected sex to over 2,000 children from dozens of schools and orphanages.

On previous visits to Cameroon, Uganda and Kenya, Clive and his colleagues at the Cricket Without Boundaries (CWB) charity have enlisted the help of international cricket stars such as Matthew Hoggard to raise awareness of HIV through the unorthodox medium of cricket.

The motto is Abstinence, Be Faithful, Use A Condom, which the charity reinforces with cricket instructions grouped together under an identical acronym.

“If we stood in a classroom with a bit of chalk and a whiteboard, nobody would remember our message,” said Clive.

“But it’s about leaving a legacy and putting a smile on the kids’ faces. We want it to be sustainable, so everywhere we go we’re setting up coaching programmes.

“Kenya is a very well established cricketing country that qualified for the semi-final of the Cricket World Cup last year, but Cameroon is at the other end of the spectrum.

“Some of the kids have never seen a cricket bat before.

“We’re not trying to produce good cricketers, but the national associations in the countries we go to take the view that it creates a big pool for them to draw players from.”

To the delight of the novice cricketers, the entire Ugandan national team, which is managed by Kenyan great Steve Tikolo, turned up to one of the festivals laid on by CWB during their stay in Uganda.

Clive said: “It’s an eye-opener to see how people in less privileged parts of the world live their lives and the devastation that HIV can cause.

“People often say it’s a life-changing experience but I honestly believe that.

“You can put your hand in your pocket easily enough, but to actually go out there brings a whole new perspective on life.”

He added that the nature of the work had broken down some of his inhibitions.

“British people generally don’t like talking about sex,” he said.

“But we got over that pretty quickly. It’s very rare now that I find myself stumped by a question!”

Ron Dyson, who works with Clive at civil solutions firm Imperial, said: “The enthusiasm on the youngsters’ faces is palpable from the pictures.”

Clive’s efforts will take him a long way from where he first heard about the charity - Brunswick Village cricket club in Hassocks.