Andy Coleman finds out how a Midlands singing star found joy and hope in Africa.

Out of Africa and on the road to Wolverhampton – that’s the route taken by Midland soul star Beverley Knight.

The 38-year-old recently went to Malawi with Christian Aid but she’s now back to her day job, entertaining on stage

Born in Wolverhampton, she plays a home-town gig at the Civic Hall on November 22, but she’s still full of enthusiasm for her experiences in Malawi in September.

Beverley visited HIV projects run by Christian Aid partner organisations and was encouraged to see faith groups combining to battle the threat of the disease using both medicine and education.

And she’s thrilled the Malawi people remain positive despite the health problems the country faces.

‘‘Everywhere I went people greeted us with song, the spirit was just incredible,’’ she says.

‘‘It was like, OK we’ve got this thing going on but our spirits are not broken, we’re fighting back. The message I came home with was one of hope.’’

Beverley is a Christian Aid HIV ambassador and had previously visited the charity’s projects in Brazil in 2002. She lost her best friend, Tyrone Jamison, to the virus the following year.

“I know from personal experience that the effects of HIV can be catastrophic,’’ she says.

‘‘Looking at a country like Malawi, where there is no free healthcare and 11 per cent of the population is living with the virus, makes Christian Aid’s work all the more vital. The scale of the pandemic is huge, but Christian Aid and its partners are trying to slow it down.’’

She adds that the UK could even learn something from the initiatives in Malawi.

‘‘The one that took me by surprise the most was a federation of religious leaders – Muslim, Christian, all kinds – who had got together and said, look we’ve got to do something about this HIV business, we’ve got to do something as faith groups.’’

Beverley met one Christian bishop who had turned his chapel into a ‘‘one stop shop’’ for learning about HIV.

As well as providing medicine, there was a supply of male and female condoms, with instructions on how to use them.

‘‘These guys in the developing world are light years ahead of our own religious groups over here, many of whom are still stuck in the dark ages,’’ claims Beverley. ‘‘These guys are totally putting them to shame.’’