FORMER Chepstow Comprehensive School pupil Marcus McGilvray is putting the finishing touches to a two year project which will take him half way round the world to help AIDS victims in seven countries.

Marcus, 33, and his partner Nicola Willis, 26, have worked night and day to raise the funds to undertake the mission.

They will set out from Marcus's home at Devauden on November 11 to travel by Land Rover across Europe and into Morocco en-route to Ghana.

Marcus and Nicola, nurses in London, met while studying on a tropical diseases course.

"They realised they both had the same interest and this project is the outcome. They have worked tremendously hard to fund the trip," said Marcus's mother.

The project is designed to help local health services to set up clinics and services for young HIV patients and children orphaned by AIDS. Both are nursing specialists in HIV and sexual health.

They decided on the mission after being shocked by reports of the poor facilities available in Africa.

Marcus explained: "Doing nothing isn't an option. We get the gold standard here. We can offer our patients the best treatments available but in Africa they are not so lucky."

To raise the money both have worked long hours as agency nurses often only passing each other in the street – one on his way to his day job, the other on her way from a

night shift.

Between them they have bought the Land Rover and saved £15,000 of the £20,000 needed.

They hope to raise the rest through sponsorship and donations.

First stop on the trip will be Ghana where they will be training nurses at a new government health centre for young people and also going out into schools to educate children about preventing HIV. Next is Kenya where they will be working at a similar centre . In all, they have arranged to work with projects in seven countries.

Nicola explained: "The idea is to leave something sustainable. By training local staff and educating children and young people about prevention we hope to achieve something that lasts."

They have set up a website and will be providing a regular journal on their project.

"It's vital that people here understand what is happening in Africa. Dry facts and figures are easily available but that isn't the same as the real human stories," said Marcus.

•Keep up with the project by visiting www. africaid.co.uk