The NPC president, Dominique Bizimana, revealed that Rwf29.5 million (£3,112/$4,919/€2,243) has already been raised for the event, with the majority of the money coming from the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, who donated £3,000 ($4,705/€3,440) earlier this month.

"We still have a long way to go and are running out of time," said Bizimana.

The competition, due to take place from November 22 to 27, is a qualifying event for the sitting volleyball tournament at the London 2012 Paralympics (pictured).

It will feature 10 teams, with hosts Rwanda up against Burundi, Cameroon, DRC, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

If Rwanda manage to stage the competition, and qualify for London 2012, it would be their first Paralympic appearance in the sport.

They made their Paralympic Games debut at Sydney 2000, where they were represented by a single competitor, male swimmer César Rwagasana.

At Athens 2004, Rwanda sent just two runners, Olive Akobasenga and Jean de Dieu Nkundabera, who won the country's first Paralympic medal when he took bronze in the men's 800 metres in the T46 category.

Nkundabera was his country's sole representative at the Games in 2008, when he entered the same event, but failed to advance past the heats.

So far, two athletes from Rwanda have qualified for the London 2012 Paralympics - 400m T46 runner Hermas Cliff Muvunyi and Para-cyclist Adrien Niyonshuti.

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October 2011: British High Commissioner to Rwanda donates £3,000 to sitting volleyball event