A retired teacher has returned from a two week trip to Kenya which she says revived her enthusiasm for working with children.

Juen Coombes, 59, visited a slum near Mombasa where her niece has set up a charity to help provide free education. Parents in Kenya often cannot afford to send their children to school because the price of school uniforms and equipment is too high.

Mrs Coombes' niece Jacqueline a post graduate student in London, set up the charity Bombolulu School of Promise after visiting Mombasa. While there she met a teacher who is voluntarily running a school in a rented room with no electricity, no water and hardly any resources.

On her return to England, she decided to help by fundraising for the school.
Mrs Coombes, of Park Lane, Bulmer, took children's clothes that had been collected by friends and family, and pencil sharpeners.

She said "They use blades of rusty old razor blades to sharpen pencils. We are talking five and six year old children here."

Mrs Coombes was also able to help buy text books while she was out there, so children can children can follow the curriculum. She took early retirement due to ill health but was able to do some basic question and answer sessions in English. 

She said "Being out there gave me a new lease of life. I got a lot out of it.
"I'm hoping to go out there next year and take my husband."

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