TWO Malvern teachers are heading for the Gambia next month to work with primary school children and develop a computer skills centre.

Mary Worthington and Jane Smith, from Castlemorton Primary School, will be working in a small school at Boraba, on the banks of the River Gambia.

Partially funded by the British Council, they have visited the school before, taking gifts of T-shirts, pencils and books.

"They have so little that it's so easy to make a difference," said Mrs Smith.

Mud huts, no electricity and an average wage of 55p a day is the norm for most families.

The school has few resources and, over the next two years, the aim is to develop joint resources in the form of textbooks about farming, festivals, religion and school life, which will be used by both Boraba and Castlemorton school children.

Castlemorton school is aiming to send 150 T-shirts to Boraba.

The other purpose of the visit is to set up a computer skills centre for adults. Fifteen computers have been donated and Jane, a schools ICT trainer, is hoping to raise £700 for a new generator to power them.

A telephone link at the centre, the only one in the region, means there will be internet access. Malvern companies, including LSA Financial Services and Bits Computers, are already backing the project.

The links with Boraba school were first established in 2003 by Mrs Worthington, headteacher at Castlemorton Primary, who has made a number of visits to the Gambia. She will teach at the school for one week on this trip, while Mrs Smith will stay for three weeks to set up the computer centre.

Pupils at Castlemorton school have sent letters and gifts, and teachers from the Boraba school have visited Castlemorton and spent time with pupils and their families.

Donations to Boraba school - £15 pays for a full-time nursery teacher for a month - can be made through Mrs Smith, who would also be interested in working laptops or a digital camera with software for the skills centre. Contact her at jane.smith10 @btinternet.com or on 01684 567409.