STOURBRIDGE students are hoping to make a difference across the globe when a class of 17-year-olds travel to Zambia to repair a school for orphans.

Armed with half a tonne of supplies and equipment, about 11 pupils from Elmfield School will visit Greenpark School in Lusaka this summer – providing a huge boost for the school both practically and socially.

Elmfield School first linked up with Greenpark in 2008 after a Stourbridge family visited Zambia and on their return to the UK, founded the charity ‘Umunandi’ to support the school.

The family’s children joined Elmfield the same year and since then, pupils have baked cakes, run stalls, had 'dress up bright' days, sent packages of stationary and gifts, and written and received letters.

Through these efforts the schools’ relationship has strengthened, and this year they wanted to take things to a “new level”.

Between June 26 and July 11, the students and staff will work together with Umunandi to carry out repairs, paint a mural, teach painting, and exchange songs, music and stories; all the while gaining first-hand experience of a way of life they have never seen before.

Only one of the eleven pupils has been to Africa before, so the students are looking forward to the trip with a great deal of excitement mixed in with some slight nerves.

But what has really caught their imagination, is the chance to help the children at Greenpark School.

One pupil, Amber, said: “It feels so much bigger than just a class trip, we're doing this for so many people”, while another student, Johannes, said: “It’s going to be a life-changing experience and I'm keen to make a difference.”

A spokesman for the school said: “This trip will make a huge difference to Greenpark School – not only for the supplies and repairs they will receive, but also for the boost in morale it will give.

“The encouragement of knowing that a group of 17-year-olds from England want to come to visit, offer their time and skills, and learn from them, cannot be overestimated.

“The trip will also have a profound impact on Elmfield's students. They are at a stage in their lives when they are considering their future - experiencing a totally different part of the world where life is harder will be eye-opening.

“To then see that you can make a difference if you step into the unknown and give something of yourself will inevitably have a huge impact on their perspective and the choices they make.”

Located in a slum area of Lusaka, Greenpark School is in an area where unemployment levels reach around 80 per cent, and with high levels of disease, it means that many young children lose their parents and are forced to look after themselves.

The school was set up by a Zambian teacher, Felix Sinkala, who had a vision to provide the young children with free education, and with the school he has created a valuable route out of the cycle of poverty.

Felix said: “We welcome Elmfield’s students! This is a very wonderful opportunity for all the children to learn from one another.”