A STUDENT is on a mission to raise thousands of pounds so he can help people in one of the world’s poorest countries.

James Watts, of Old Town, is hoping to raise £5,000 for a trip to Tanzania to teach children and help people less fortunate than himself.

The Cirencester College student will be travelling with a group, including his college friend, Hatty Davis, from Stroud.

He said: “I have an interest in helping those less fortunate than us in counties such as Tanzania.

“We will be there for six weeks experiencing basic living conditions and we will be doing English lessons and extra-curricular activities with the children out there.”

“I am so excited to experience the life we will be living.

“We will be living off rice and beans cooked on an open fire. We will have to be in tents and use long-drop toilets. It is just a camp, there is no shower or anything.

“We are just looking forward to experiencing the sort of life they live out there and getting a different view on life.

“We will be able to come back knowing that we have at least helped a little bit.”

The trip will start at the beginning of February next year and the money raised will help pay for travel, provide funding for the schools, community and resources, vaccinations, visas, insurance, accommodation and provide money for families, enrichment groups and youth centres in need.

The project is through an organisation called Frontier, a non-profit conservation and development non-governmental organisation, which is dedicated to exploration, education and conservation.

“We will be travelling over there with a group of people we have never met before, all with the same aim — to aid those less fortunate than us make a sustainable livelihood in one of the world's poorest country,” he said.

“With help from the people of Swindon, we will begin to start raising the money to support us in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

James, who studies performing arts, helped at a hospital in Gambia in 2008 when he was a student at Commonweal School.

James and Hatty are planning a skydive to raise funds too. To help them reach their target, visit http://donate-tanzania.webs.com.