Teenagers' poverty mission

Teenagers will complete a school's hat-trick when they jet out today to help children fighting for survival in a poverty-stricken African country.
Seventeen sixth formers from Sunderland High School will build a school extension, supply a hospital and volunteer in an orphanage during a month-long trip to Malawi.

The determined group has topped £11,000 from fund-raising for the remote village of Nkhotakota, where the pupils have become mini-celebrities.

It's their third expedition in four years to the impoverished African state and the team has spent a year planning the trip and raising the £1,600 to go.

Hauling its own tents and supplies in a day of travelling, the team will bring much-needed medical supplies for the village hospital, school books and cash for a new block at the Julia Sharpe secondary school.

Seventeen-year-old Zora Van Leeuwen, of Ryhope, said: "It will be a life-changing experience. We will be helping out in the orphanage and the day care centre. Many of the parents there have died from Aids.

This is something many of us will never get a chance to do again.
"We have been made aware of things that could happen, but the people there are better off than some of the other surrounding countries – it's known as the heart of Africa."

Carol Bidwell, 17, of Durham, added: "I am looking forward
to the chance to change things for the better. We know we can't change the whole country, but we can make a little bit of it better."

Eighteen-year-old Gary Cameron, of High Barnes, said: "Hopefully I will get some sort of an impression of the culture and learn how to appreciate it."

Since the school's first trip in 2003, the village school had increased its number of pupils from 70 to 300 and keeps in touch with its
Wearside friends via email and the occasional letter.

Sunderland High School headteacher Angela Slater said: "The combined efforts of the expedition team and the school community is enough to finance the construction of an entire new school building, in addition to purchasing school equipment, supplies for the orphanage and medicines for the hospital.

"This year's group is really looking forward to building on the work of the 2003 and 2005 expedition teams."