Students to make trip to help children in Africa

Layeena Masters and Amber Greenwood are going to Africa in June with four other students

A group of students are preparing for a "life-changing" trip to Africa to help schoolchildren living in Malawi.

The students are all studying for T-Levels in early years education at Blackburn College and will be travelling to the country in summer to help with the construction of a classroom.

They have raised £5,000 for the Malawi Relief Fund UK charity to build the facility but are continuing to raise more money to equip and decorate it before the trip in June.

One of the six student travelling to Africa, Amber Greenwood, said it was a "fantastic opportunity".

The students have raised £5,000 for the Malawi Relief Fund UK charity

"I think coming to Blackburn College we weren't expecting this opportunity at all, so it's fantastic to not only explore ourselves but also give back to the community," she said.

The student, who hopes to continue studying children's nursing at university after college, said she was looking forward to "supporting children's learning and development, but also helping a wider community".

Layeena Masters said: "From what we've been told there's literally only the children, the staff and a chalk board there.

"So hopefully by us going there we'll be able to provide them with so many memories with simple things like colouring."

Layeena, who wants to get a job as an early years educator after college, said: "I think it's going to put all the studies we've been doing so far into practice and take it globally".

She said she hoped to help the children develop mentally and personally.

Shabana Bharucha, lead lecturer in early years study at Blackburn College, said money had been raised by hosting events such as a Ramadan Souk, a marketplace at the college with stalls of handicrafts and food.

She said Malawi was chosen as it is "a poverty-driven country".

"So we decided that we would take the students on a life-changing experience where they can take the learning that they do in college on a global level and really make that impact," she said.