WINCHAM mum Jane Burkinshaw is inviting people to support her planned return trip to Kenya in May 2016.

The mother of two travelled in May to one of the poorest regions of Kenya, Nakuru, to work in schools in the slums.

The trip was organised by the charity African Adventures, which works on projects in particularly disadvantaged areas in Ghana, Kenya and Zanzibar.

The mother of two joined 40 other volunteers from Derby County Community Trust (DCCT) on the trip to Kenya.

DCCT has worked with three schools in Nakuru over the past four years, building classrooms from the foundations up, helping to train the teachers and fundraising to support a feeding programme and provide basic classroom resources and materials.

As a professional photographer Jane was keen to use her skills to help raise the profile of the charity and to highlight the plight of families living in the communities.

Many families survive on as little as 60p a day, and struggle to feed and clothe their children.

She said: “I went to Kenya hoping to come back with some amazing photos, but returned with so much more – first-hand experience of seeing very poor people struggling to survive from day to day and seeing how charities are making a real difference to their lives.

“Education is highly valued as a way to escape the slums, and schools do their best to provide basic meals and lessons with very few resources.

“The children’s time in school offers them a respite from the harsh conditions at home – one cramped room with no electricity or running water and open sewers.”

The attitude of the children to their situation was one of the things Jane says will always stay with her.

She said: “These children are so happy we are there, and very grateful for the little things we take out with us, such as knitted toys, balls, bubbles and stationery packs. I have thousands of photographs of children beaming at the camera.”

Jane is planning a return trip in May 2016 to give each child a school portrait.

“Between the three schools there are 600 children, and I’m going to take a photograph of each child and print it for them to take home to their parents,” she said.

If you would like to help Jane fundraise for her trip email her on jane@picture-it-big.co.uk or donate via Just Giving - www.justgiving.com/Jane-Burkinshaw.