Like thousands of others, the Mott family will be going away this summer. But rather than making the annual pilgrimage to France or the Costas, Judi and Terry have their sights set a little further afield.

On July 30, the couple, with children Tom and Ellie, are heading 4,300 miles into the heart of Africa.

But this will be no Kenyan safari - the Motts will be opening an orphanage for street children on the outskirts of Kenya's third city, Kisumu.

Part-time teacher Judi, 38, will say her farewells to staff and children at St Stephen's School at the end of term before finalising their move from Church Road, Astwood Bank.

She has already made a trip to the Kenyan village of Kosele a farming community that will be home for the family. But for husband Terry, 44, head of IT at Stratford High School, it will be his first visit to Africa.

Judi said: "About 18 months ago, we met a lady called Pat Botwright. She was looking for sponsorship for children at a place called Covenant House where street children are looked after and educated.

"She began with eight children but looks after more than 150 at the moment with more taken to her on a daily basis.

"After meeting her, we immediately felt the call to sponsor one of the children. We met her again six months later and considered going out there - maybe for six months - to help out in some way. Pat was quite receptive and we began to work out how much it would cost."

Terry added: "We originally thought about going out during school holidays but that was never feasible.

"We then looked at going for a short period of time but it was going to cost us £2,000 just to get the family out there."

Things changed when a number of houses became available to Pat in the village of Kosele, some two hours drive away from Kisumu. It was then that a vision of a separate orphanage for the youngest children began to take shape - with Terry and Judi at the head of it all.

The couple will be looking after 20 children and will be helped by James, who knows the problems of poverty having lived on the streets himself after his parents were murdered when he was just nine years old.

He is now married and will help forge links between the Motts and the locals, helping overcome some of the language barriers.

Judi said her trip to Kenya had been a real eye-opener. "For the first 48 hours I was thinking 'I cannot do this'.

"I had not appreciated the enormity of the problem. There are hotels on every corner, which are really just bars, so there is a lot of alcohol abuse as well as solvent abuse.

"They basically have all the problems we have over here but without the safety nets of social workers. Although we'll be living in a Christian community, we're not going out there to be missionaries. All we're trying to do is provide a loving and caring environment for these children to live and learn," she added.

Funding for the orphanage needs to come from outside of Kenya.

Terry said: "It's such a poor country and even in the relatively wealthy bits there's so much corruption. There's no electricity - our power will come from a generator and our water will come from a hole in the ground."

The running costs will be about £600 per month to pay rent on four houses, wages to six members of staff, feed everyone on site and leave a little to cover medical costs and emergencies.

Judi added: "Terry has the option of coming back to his job after a year but we know that if this runs in the way we pray it does, then we wouldn't go over there and forge the relationships just to walk away from it."

As for the children, their main focus at the moment is the flight south.

Judi said: "Tom and Ellie have never flown before. They saw mummy go off in a plane earlier in the year and are finding it hard to look at anything other than the flight.

"They will be the deciding factor of whether we stay a year or longer. If they settle, then we will see it out."

They will be taught at home - and what an education it is bound to be.

The family is still looking for sponsors to held fund their Kenyan orphanage and help meet the running costs.

Anyone able to help can call them on 459322 or e-mail terrymott@supanet.com

By David Lawrence