A WORCESTER teaching assistant hopes a sponsored walk will raise enough money to ensure the survival of an African school set up by her friend.

Naomi O’Connor says she was so touched by a recent visit to the King’s International School in the Ugandan capital Kampala that she wants to help its pupils, many of whom live in the city’s slums.

King’s International is run by former Kempsey resident Naomi Davidson, aged 32, who left the UK 12 years ago before setting up the school, which now has 60 pupils.

“I went out to Uganda in February this year,” said Ms O’Connor, 26, a teaching assistant at Bishop Perowne School in Worcester.

She said she’s hoping to raise £4,500 to allow the school to run into next year.

“This will go towards daily food for the 60 children who attend the school as well as Naomi and her family, resources for the school, staff wages, fuel for the minibus, running costs for the building such as electricity, gas and water bills and also the rent for the building,” she said.

The teaching assistant said closure of the school would have a huge impact on the pupils from the slums, not only because it would affect their chances of a good education but also because the school provides regular meals for them as well as meeting many of their emotional needs.

“The school is not looking to be given charity all the time or have loads of money thrown at it,” she said.

“Naomi is really focused on getting to a point where the school is able to sustain itself through income gained from fee-paying students.

“One of the long-term aims is for the school to invest in basic laptops so that the children can learn ICT skills, something which is very relevant all over the world.

“The more fee-paying students it attracts the more students from the slums it will also be able to accept.”

The walk takes place on Saturday along the river Severn from Bridgnorth to Bewdley.

To donate, visit fundrazr.com/campaigns/9Wmff.