Art lovers were able to indulge their passion while they helped raise desperately needed funds to aid the Sudan crisis thanks to a special exhibition.

Launching the exhibition - Basildon Council vice-chairman Geoff Buckenham with Sister Aishah, Brother Sarwar and Brother Daud Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

The Basildon Islamic Centre, in St Martin's Square, staged an exhibition of paintings by Sister Aishah, who teaches art and Arabic to children at the centre.

All the paintings were on sale and a portion of every sale goes straight to a fund to help those affected by the famine caused by civil strife in the north African country.

Hundreds of thousands of Muslim peasants in the country are being killed and displaced by Arab militiamen.

Sister Aishah, who was brought up in Basildon and converted to Islam when she met her husband, decided to put her art to good use to help the people of Sudan.

Published Tuesday August 10, 2004

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