TWO Huddersfield men are out to save the lives of Ethiopians – from gorging, drinking and smoking themselves to death.

In a total U-turn from the haunting images of the 1984 famine which sparked Live Aid, parts of Ethiopia are now becoming affluent and some of its wealthier people are falling victim to Western-style excesses – including obesity.

Film-maker John Edmonds and public health expert Dr Dawit Mengistu – who was born in Ethiopia – have realised there is a growing health problem in the African country due to growing wealth and fast food restaurants opening.

Now the Examiner can exclusively reveal their move to tackle a problem no-one could have dreamed would ever exist in Ethiopia.

Old images of starving Ethiopian children – which prompted the 1985 Live Aid appeal spearheaded by pop star Bob Geldof – still haunt many people’s perception of that country.

But 24 years later Ethiopia has a growing affluent population which is gorging on western-style fast food, smoking and drinking.

‘White-collar’ sit down jobs are on the increase in urban areas – as is car ownership.

Mr Edmonds said: "Urban areas in Ethiopia teeter on the edge of yet another new crisis – diseases of affluence. Sadly, the western diet and lifestyle are becoming more and more popular with everyone who can afford them.

"Cars are in demand, western-style high-fat fast food outlets are multiplying, the use of tobacco and alcohol is increasing and, with all these changes, so is the incidence of diseases."

"The average Ethiopian knows little of the dangers of fast food, lack of exercise, high-fat food and the like and the amount of public information on these issues in the Ethiopian language is rare.

"As the result, low-income countries such as Ethiopia are seeing shocking increase in obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

"Thus, the poorest countries now have the double burden of unconquered infectious diseases and rising incidence of degenerative illness.’’

So Mr Edmonds of director of Time Trapper DVD makers and Dr Mengistu, an Ethiopian public health specialist, have joined forces to make a DVD to educate Ethiopia’s upcoming wealthier population on healthy choices.

Dr Mengistu is a director of Huddersfield-based company Agape Health, a worldwide consultant in lifestyle and preventative medicine.

He has lived and worked all over the world including Russia, the USA andGermany.

A casual chat between the two led to the production of the DVD in the Ethiopian language Amharic and English.

It is hoped private and public organisations inside and outside Ethiopia will buy the DVD and then supply it to Ethiopian communities at low or no cost.

Mr Edmonds said 5% of sales from the DVD will go to the Abebech Gobena Orphanage in Ethiopia which cares for children who have lost their parents due to AIDS.

The orphanage was set up by Abebech Gobena who is known as the Mother Teresa of Africa.

The orphanage and school – 80 miles from Addis Ababa – now has 200 resident and 482 non-resident pupils. Over 1,800 benefit from a child-sponsorship scheme and the orphanage makes sure that more than 2,000 malnourished children and mothers receive food.

The aim is to turn needy children into productive and responsible citizens so they can support themselves and contribute to society.

They learn sewing, knitting and weaving, metalwork, plumbing, electricity, photography and silkscreen printing. She reunites orphans with relatives wherever possible, but the number of orphans continues to grow with the spread of HIV.

For more information visit: www.timetrappers.com