Oxford Mail reporter Rosalind Miles is to travel to Uganda to report on Bicester artist David Odwar's work setting up an arts centre in the troubled north of the country.

Miss Miles will meet Mr Odwar and photographer Jonathan Hyams in Kampala later this month, and travel to Gulu, where the arts centre is based.

Mr Odwar fled from his native Uganda to Britain at the age of 12 after witnessing the beginning of a war between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

The father of one, who has won international acclaim for his sculptures, is setting up the arts centre to help those who have been traumatised by the ongoing struggle.

He said: "Within this cruel war I have seen people who have had their lips and ears cut off simply because they have talked about what's happening to their family and community. Children are being abducted from schools and forced to become child soldiers and return to their villages and kill their own families.

"Getting children enjoying life and giving them hope is what the arts centre is all about. I believe if you can get just one child to smile then you have achieved something worthwhile."

Miss Miles, 26, of East Oxford, met Mr Odwar when she wrote about his arts centre project, which is called Through Art Keep Smiling (Taks).

She said: "I was inspired when I met David Odwar. His passion, energy and excitement about doing something he so obviously believes in was so infectious I decided to seize the opportunity go to Uganda with him and see what is happening there."

Miss Miles is to leave the Oxford Mail and spend three weeks in Uganda and is hoping to return in January to help run the arts centre. She will be reporting about Uganda for the Mail and other media when she returns to the UK in October.

Mr Hyams, 22, of Iffley Road, Oxford, who is studying documentary photography at Newport, got involved in the project after meeting David through his sister, a fellow artist.

He said: "I'm not an action frontline war photographer, it's people that interest me - how they cope under such pressure and what positive things are being done to make the most of a bad situation."

Miss Miles is funding the trip herself. Anyone wishing to help the project can donate money to Taks. See www.taks.org.uk Donations of art materials, pencils, sketchbooks, paint, videos, toys and clothes are also needed.

For details, email rosalind.miles@nqo.com