CANFORD School pupils have travelled to India, Argentina and Ghana throughout the summer as part of the Canford Partnership projects.

The partnership builds and maintains relationships with vulnerable communities in these countries with links well established. The link with India has existed for more than 20 years.

The trips demonstrate the value of education and voluntary work and give pupils a greater insight into the challenges faced by people in some of the poorest countries in the world.

The India Partnership is based at the Goodwill Children’s Homes in Tamil Nadu in Southern India where pupils taught maths and English.

The group visited a number of villages and gave every child a school bag which contained dresses for girls and shirts for boys.

Visiting Hogar el Alba, an orphanage outside of Buenos Aires, Canford pupils completed voluntary work on three boarding house walls and on planting projects.

The group also enjoyed taking part in reciprocal dance performances with the children.

Canfordians also helped organise the annual Megafestival. This was attended by 1,000 local people, including the UK ambassador Mike Kent.

Twelve Canford pupils joined the Partnership trip to Ghana. Travelling to Awutu Winton Senior High School - the only free secondary school in Ghana – pupils rose to the challenge of leading a moral assembly and helped to improve the facilities at the school, making a gravel path for the garden.

Ghanaians joined Canford pupils in playing rugby, football and water sports.

The visitors also went to a number of orphanages and villages, Elmina Castle, Africa’s oldest slave port, and Kakum National Park.

Dr David Neill, deputy head co-curricular, said: “The annual Canford Partnerships continue to demonstrate the global value of Canford pupil work.

“The opportunities for development through a variety of voluntary work are equally positive for these local communities and for Canford pupils.”

He added: “These experiences have an enduring impact on local communities, and for the group once they return home”.