A FILM producer is swapping the serene Herefordshire scenery for the hustle and bustle of an African city.

Jeannette Covington has been selected to join a production company in the Democratic Republic of Congo to bring children's rights to the forefront of the community.

Yesterday, the 44-year-old left the UK for the two-year contract in the capital Kinshasa.

"It's a tremendous personal and professional challenge and will undoubtedly be very tough at times," she said.

"I've only ever been to Morocco and Tunisia on holiday so this will be a big culture shock.

"I've been warned that I will see a lot of poverty, disease and disability. I've only just discovered that there is no postal system and e-mail has been down for six weeks.

"Electricity is more off than on, so it will be very different."

Ms Covington, who has lived in Herefordshire for the past six years, will be working for an American non-governmental organisation called Search For Common Ground.

It is developing a media campaign on the 30,000 street children ejected from their homes after being labelled "child witches".

She will be working with other international media professionals as well as Congolese staff.

To be selected for the job she had two phone interviews as well as a face-to-face, French-spoken interview in Belgium.

She has now left her home in Tillington, near Hereford, for her new job.

Her background is in social issues broadcasting in the West Midlands, which includes several projects involving children and young people.