Harry puts his back into building work for Lesotho children

July 8, 2008Jul 8, 2008, 11:00 PM GMT+1

Prince Harry spent hours toiling in the African sun on a school-renovation project supported by the Sentebale charity he founded in honour of his late mother.

The 23-year-old army officer was working alongside 20 colleagues from the Household Cavalry, shifting gravel and banging nails inside the building, which serves disabled children in Lesotho.

After his hard graft, the Prince unwound with a game of football, organised by the HIV/AIDS awareness charity Kick 4 Life. For the kick-about he wore a shirt donated to the charity by Westfields Football Club in Hereford.

In returning to the tiny African kingdom where he spent his gap year, Harry is fulfilling a promise he made to the country's vulnerable youngsters.

The third-in-line explained that Sentebale - Forget Me Not in the local language - was designed to support projects like this one, which cares for 43 children.

"This is the only school for mentally handicapped children within Lesotho and once this is finished we hope to make another in the centre and one in the south," he said.

Asked if his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, would be proud, he smiled and replied: "I hope so."

In a labour of love honouring his mother and the people of the African kingdom where he spent his gap year Prince Harry helps refurbish a school for disabled youngsters. The work is being funded by Sentebale the charity he established as a tribute to Princess Diana Photo: © Rex

The royal and 20 army colleagues are in Lesotho for three weeks working at the Thuso Centre, which cares for 43 mentally and physically disabled kids Photo: © Getty Images

After the back-breaking effort, Harry was still keen to play hard, too Photo: © Getty Images

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