Lela Edgar is an actress and Plymouth State University alumnus, though her recent calling has been to help form a village for African children orphaned by AIDS. Edgar's charitable work will be honored by her alma mater at an awards ceremony today.

Edgar, who will receive the Plymouth State Ut Prosim award for outstanding service, returned to campus this weekend for the first time in 12 years.

A Connecticut native, Edgar graduated from Plymouth State College in 1996 with a bachelor of science degree in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology/Sociology.

Shortly after graduation, she moved to New York and then Hollywood toward a life-long ambition to act. Edgar has made appearances in the films "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer and in "Gang Warz" with Robert Vaughn.

Public service has been another of Edgar's passions. During her time at Plymouth State, Edgar worked in the Women's Services and Gender Resource department and was the co-coordinator of the first "Stop the Violence" seminar with a friend.

"Plymouth State definitely fosters and welcomes the evolution of oneself," she said. "They foster community service. It's a very supportive environment to explore service."

Courtesy Photo Lela Edgar looks through a video camera with local children during her trip to Kenya.

The AIDS epidemic in Africa and the more than 15 million children left orphaned by the disease increasingly gained her attention and concern.

"I've always been aware of the African AIDS crisis but the numbers have been so astronomical," Edgar said. "By contrast, I'm very aware of how rich we are in America. It seemed nonsensical to think I could do nothing."

Edgar traveled to Nairobi, Kenya, two years ago to determine "what an average American can do amid the pandemic of AIDS orphans." She traveled through Kenya for nearly three weeks to see first-hand the millions of children left orphaned by the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

"I visited slums and people in the bush alike," she said, going to areas such as Kibera in Nairobi, the second largest slum in Africa. "I felt very empowered that I can do something because, in many parts of Kenya, the people have so little: children without food, water, and guidance, children living without roofs over their heads. These are the kinds of things we can do."

Edgar said with Americans generally having more money, people can help "collectively if we each put in what we can. It seems so overwhelming before you go," though the experience breaks "down to exactly what could be done."

Edgar said she met up with a group affiliated with a Baptist Church out of Machakos, Kenya, working to put together a small, self-sustaining eco-village for orphans and their caretakers. The village will include a solar oven for baking food, fruit and vegetable gardens, and training in life skills such as sewing to help promote growth and sustain the community.

The village is now a non-secular, cross-disciplinary project between the church, the African Medical and Research Foundation, and technicians on agriculture and other fields.

Edgar is raising money and awareness for the village through Make A Change Productions.

Edgar said the foundation for working on the village has been laid, though now organizers need to procure land and delegate responsibility to form the village. This is the first phase of the project that will require $20,000 to complete.

With the project in this stage of the process, Edgar said she was "surprised and pleased" to receive PSU's award.

For more information on Make A Change Productions, email Lela Edgar at lelaedgarsbcglobal.net.

RAY MONGEAU/For The Citizen Actress Lela Edgar has been working with Make a Change Productions to help African orphans of AIDS. * Order a print of this photo