Children left orphaned and starving by the Kenya riots will receive better basic healthcare and teaching - thanks to a fundraiser at an Oxford museum.

Around 200 people paid £30 a head to attend Rhythms of Childhood, an African-themed evening organised by the charity Linking Arms with Rescued Kids (LARK) at the the Pitt Rivers Museum.

Guests at last weekend's party - including the Lord Mayor of Oxford, Susanna Pressel - were greeted by African drummers, the Oxford Gospel Choir, storytellers and performers.

The evening also included a silent auction.

The £6,000 raised will go directly to the Eldoret Children's Centre in Kenya.

LARK trustee and organiser of the event, Florence Darby, said: "It was a tremendous success and I was amazed by just how many people and businesses across Oxford helped us by donating prizes for the auction and serving food and drink at the event.

"I first visited the children's centre in Eldoret two years ago and was shocked and saddened by what I saw - hundreds of children as young as three years old, many who have HIV or TB, sleeping rough, wrapped in plastic bags in the marketplace, surrounded by rats and living off rotten food."

After January's riots, the centre was inundated with more children who had been abandoned by their fleeing parents, which took the total up to around 600 children.

However, a lack of resources meant many of the children have been sleeping on the floor.

Ms Darby added: "The centre is an absolute lifeline for these children, providing healthcare, schooling and some vocational training, as well as security, basic accommodation, food and a bunk bed.

"The £6,000 we raised on Saturday night will be used to pay for extra staff at the centre, including a nurse. We will also employ more teachers."

For more information on LARK and the Eldoret Children's Centre visit www.lark.btik.com