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Lenny Henry meets namesakes - twin boys born in Africa after Comic Relief visit


March 12, 2015
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In November 2014, Lenny Henry visited a health clinic in Iyolwa in Uganda, where he met nurse Martha. Five months later Lenny has returned to the clinic - and discovered two new residents to the town, Martha's twin boys Lenny and Henry.

The young babies were born last week and were named after Lenny, who, through Operation Health for Comic Reliefis helping to bring fully functional medical clinics to Africa.

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Lenny called the news "extraordinary"

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think a baby in Uganda would be named after me, Lenny from Dudley, never mind two!", the 56-year-old said.

"Welcome to the world Lenny and Henry.

"It is fantastic that these two, and all the other residents of Iyolwa, now have a fully functioning clinic to rely on when they are sick, injured or in need of medical."

Lenny is one of the co-founders of Comic Relief, the British charity which raises money through Red Nose Day every other year.

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Lenny has been working with Red Nose Day since the beginning

This year's show will include the moving and inspiring documentary Comic Relief: Operation Health, which shows how Lenny, along with Greg James and Alex Jones, took on the ambitious project in January 2015.

Staff at the clinic were previously working under appalling conditions, including no running water, no electricity, and outdated equipment. They now have running water, a maternity clinic, incubators, a steriliser, solar panels and working electricity.

Other sketches and work for this year's show, airing on BBC One on Friday 13 March include a new line-up for pop bad One Direction, the return of Mr Bean to our TV screens, Sam Smith and John Legend teaming up for a Comic Relief single, and Professor Stephen Hawking making a cameo in a new Little Britain sketch.

Comic Relief: Operation Health airs on Thursday 12 March at 9pm on BBC One.

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