STANDING in his garden at Petersham a year ago, with the love of his life by his side, Darren Stratti described the passion that prompted them to leave behind the comforts of Sydney for an aid mission in Africa.

"During my divorce, I realised material things mean nothing. I wanted to do something more," he told The Sun-Herald .

Mr Stratti and his partner, Rebecka Delforce, were full of optimism in this photo, taken a year ago to the week.

It is a world away from the panic and anguish that filled Mr Stratti's last moments when the 36-year-old was shot on Monday by raiders of a village they had built for children in Tanzania.

Thieves overpowered and tied up the village's guard, a Masai warrior, and tried to break into the hut where Mr Stratti, Ms Delforce and four other female volunteers were barricaded, his brother Daniel told the Herald .

"He told Rebecka to hop under the bed and shortly after that a couple of shots were fired and one went through the wall into my brother's chest."

The robbers made off with $6000 intended for materials to put the finishing touches to the village being built by the charity founded by Ms Delforce, foodwatershelter.

In the hours afterwards, the car carrying the stricken pair bounced along dusty tracks as they visited three township hospitals in search of medical help.

The first two hospitals did not have the equipment to treat him. The third did, but Mr Stratti died soon after undergoing surgery.

"The whole way to the hospital my brother was saying he was going to be all right, just to console Rebecka," Daniel Stratti said.

Another brother, Jason Stratti, said: "There's not too many people who enter this world and leave it a better place, and I'm proud that I can say that for my brother."

A year ago Darren Stratti spoke of the love that compelled him to join his partner's charity as its building foreman.

"We met at seven but got separated at 12 when we both went to single-sex schools," Mr Stratti said of Ms Delforce, whom he met at St Joseph's Primary School at Moorebank.

He married another woman at 18 and had two boys, now 12 and 14. He met Ms Delforce again in 2004.

"Half an hour into our date, I knew I wanted to spend my life with her. Three days later she moved in," he said. "One of the main reasons I was attracted to Bek was that she told me about this idea she had to build a children's village in Tanzania and spend the rest of her life helping people. Her idea was awesome."