Mrs Meta Smith (66) will be fulfilling a long-held ambition when she heads to Central America to help give poverty-stricken children a chance of a better education.

She and her daughter, Carol, are joining the charity Global Vision International to help in a small village school where 80 youngsters gather each day to learn.

And at the end of her month-long trip, Mrs Smith hopes to have laid the foundations for long-term support for the villagers, thanks to the generous support she has been shown by neighbours in Dufftown and further afield.

Former nurse Mrs Smith, who is now a carer, has always wanted to carry out voluntary work overseas.

She and her daughter, who lives near Aberdeen, will be setting off on February 29 to live with villagers in the rural Copan Ruinas area, close to the Guatemalan border. In what is one of the poorest areas of Honduras, the average family income equates to just over a dollar a day, on which families of 10 and more often have to try to survive.

Although education is free, materials are not, and often this is what forces children to miss out on schooling.

Mrs Smith will be taking a suitcase packed with pencils, pens and books with her to help the youngsters continue learning. She is also taking things like rope to make skipping ropes for the pupils.

She explained: "It was my daughter who asked what I thought about the project. It is something I have wanted to do all my days, and so I jumped at the chance, even though conditions will be difficult, with no running water or electricity.

"We will be getting up at 6.30am to go to the school and help the teacher. As there is only one teacher for 84 children of all ages, some of them can fall behind, so we will be helping them to catch up with their English and numeracy. In the afternoon we will be given Spanish lessons to help us communicate with the villagers."

The generosity of local people is helping Meta Smith from Dufftown take a suitcase packed full of useful supplies with her on her charity trip to Honduras. NS

English is seen as an important language for the children, as it can help them get jobs outwith the area, particularly with the growth of tourism in the country.

Mrs Smith has paid for her trip herself, but was keen to take supplies out with her to help families. She has been overwhelmed by the support she has received, with two bottles of whisky donated by Mortlach Distillery being made into a hamper which has been raffled. Tickets were sold in local shops, and people also made donations once they heard of Mrs Smith's plans.

Walkers of Aberlour donated shortbread and a number of calculators, while Fordyce Dancing Club donated cash from a raffle after Mrs Smith's name was put forward by a neighbour. Her son, Neil, is also organising a race night at Royal Tarlair Golf Club, Macduff, on March 1.

Cash donations, including her own contribution, have been put into a special bank account which has now topped the £600 mark. Once she gets to Copan Ruinas and sees the needs of the people for herself, Mrs Smith hopes to be able to put the money to good use, such as by funding building work to the school.

Mrs Smith added: "I know it will be difficult, but it is a great opportunity and I am sure it will teach me to appreciate even more all that we take for granted here."

f.mcpherson@northern-scot.co.uk

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