Stourbridge News:

THE journey around Kutosilo village was completely different to what we're used to back home, however it was certainly interesting; the living conditions were a real eye opener.

After getting off the truck, we were greeted with a warm welcome from the children in the village: they were full of smiles and hugs.

We looked around their village and visited some of their homes. The area is very poor and sits at the edge of a rubbish dump. Seeing the children running over the rubbish was harrowing.

Even though these people have next to nothing, they're all full of warmth and happiness.

When I was there, I drew water from the well, washed clothes and walked with the villagers. It made me realise how lucky we are back home.

After our trip to Kutosilo, we continued on to the school at Madiana. We were greeted by the students and teachers, who we later danced with.

It was an amazing experience. After the dancing, we decorated the walls of the classrooms, to make them more child friendly. We were given an amazing lunch of rice and vegetables, kindly provided by the villagers.

The day was ended by a visit to the ice-cream parlour, which was well needed after a long day's work. I'm looking forward to the rest of this life-changing week.

Abi Kemmings