16-year-old begins week-long fast

Siriol will drink only water during her fast

A 16-year-old girl has started a week-long fast to raise awareness of the plight facing children in Niger.

Siriol Teifi, a pupil at Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi, Llandysul, Ceredigion, is urging people to help the famine-stricken African country.

She started her protest on Monday and is being supported by her family and teachers at her school.

She had already raised £250 for charity Christian Aid's Niger campaign.

A sixth-form pupil, Siriol will drink only water during the fast.

I hope to be eating again at the end of the week whereas their suffering will continue Siriol Teifi

Speaking ahead of her protest, Siriol, granddaughter of former Plaid Cymru president Gwynfor Evans who died earlier this year, said: "My fast will be a small way of identifying with young people of the same age as me who are suffering in Niger.

"I don't think that I'll be feeling sorry for myself because I hope to be eating again at the end of the week whereas their suffering will continue."

Siriol, from Llanfihangl ar Arth, Carmarthenshire, added: "I ask everyone to send donations to Christian Aid's appeal."

Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi's head teacher Dorian Williams said he, his staff and pupils all supported Siriol.

"She is a girl with strong principles and it is nice to see a young person making a stand against things that she's concerned about as an individual, matters that should cause concern to politicians," he said.

"Africa is a continent full of problems and Siriol gives a 100% to the campaign."

In July, experts said the famine in Niger was its worst food crisis since 1984-5. Christian Aid said 2.4 million people were facing food shortages after locusts and drought destroyed last year's crops.