A GROUP of Alva Academy pupils are gearing up for a trip to Malawi, where they will spend two weeks volunteering in an orphanage.

The 10 teens will work with a charity called The Children's Fund when they visit in June.

The S4 and S5 students - accompanied by teachers Rhona Skinner and Kerry Walker - will support young people who will soon be leaving the orphanage, during their time in Luchenza in the south of Malawi.

Rhona said: "Kerry and I believe that this expedition will be a life changing experience. 

"Pupils will witness first hand what life in a rural African village is like and will give them the opportunity to give something back to the local community. 

"Pupils will experience a vastly different culture to their own which will develop their appreciation of global citizenship; pupils have already begun to develop life skills which they will further enhance while we are in Malawi. 

"The expedition will be an enriching and unforgettable experience for everyone involved."

The Children's Fund provides a range of support for those due to leave the care of the local orphanage.

It helps them build a house in their home village and gives training for future work at the Children's Entrepreneurial Training Village, allowing them to transition back into the community.

The main focus for the Wee County group will be to help build a home for one of the youngsters.

In order to fund the trip, the Clacks pupils have been hard at work fundraising over the last few months through ladies' nights, coffee mornings, bag packs, a grand prize draw and plenty of other events held on an individual level.

Some have taken up part-time jobs, made and sold arts and crafts and have done odd jobs for family and friends to earn some extra cash.

The students have already seen the benefit of their hard work.

Of the trip, S4 pupil Finlay Ulrichsen, said: "I'd like to see a new culture, gain a perspective of how much we have compared to the rest of the world and to help people who are less fortunate than I am. 

"Through fundraising, we have developed team skills which we will further develop while we are in Malawi."