A KIDDERMINSTER woman will be jetting off to South Africa to help teach village school children.

Sophia Burge, of Chester Road South, who is starting a post graduate teaching course at University of Worcester in September, will travel to Kurtland in July.

She will spend a month helping children aged between seven and 15 in the village school to gain some work experience.

The 24-year-old needs to raise around £2,000 to finance her trip and, as part of her fund-raising, is hoping to sell paintings she has done of African wildlife.

Sophia, who has enjoyed painting all her life and studied animation at university, said: "I have got a lot of fund-raising ideas. I am hoping to do a coffee morning around Easter time, dog walking, a car boot sale and a sponsored run in June."

The trip has been arranged by the organisation, Worldwide Experience, which specialises in conservation and community projects and organises placements in conservation, teaching and work-based learning.

At present, she is working as a teaching assistant in a school in Worcester and also temping in offices.

Sophia said she was looking forward to her trip to Africa, which will be the furthest she has travelled, adding: "They don't have a lot of resources over there and they always need helpers to teach English in their schools. It will be a nice place to go. I haven't been there before."

Sophia is appealing for local residents and companies to sponsor her and anyone interested in helping can contact her by email on soffitnums@yahoo.co.uk