British actor Nicholas Hoult was left reeling during a recent charity trip to Africa, after seeing the squalid conditions facing poverty-stricken families in Kenya.
The About A Boy star took time out from his busy schedule to head to the country in March (10) in his role as an ambassador for U.K. charity Christian Aid.
Hoult explains, "I thought it was important to see things for myself if I was going to support the charity. I don't think I could ask people to give money without knowing what I was talking about. I wanted to experience it first-hand or it would sound self-righteous and hypocritical.
"Nothing can even begin to explain what it is like. There were floods when we were visiting, so sewage would flow up with the water and fill people's houses. You feel very privileged to have toilets and showers and drink fresh water."
The 20 year old even volunteered to help clear waste from the streets during his visit - which he admits was a difficult job.
He tells Britain's Daily Record newspaper, "It was bloody hard work in real heat. It was basically cleaning the drains and raking the sewage along. With the heat, and I'm not the fittest of people, it was really tough. The smell is the thing you can never quite convey.
"It was an amazing experience to meet so many inspiring people and see the courage of families who don't have much but would never sit around looking for handouts. They are all doing the very best they can and just need a little help."
And Hoult is appealing to the U.K. public to donate money to the annual Christian Aid Week fundraiser which is currently running: "Sixteen quid (pounds) could pay for five metres of sewage piping. That showed me just how a little money - the cost of an evening in the pub - could make such a big difference."