Alton School is fortunate to be part of the world wide Order of Our Lady of Providence, and there are convents across the globe. The mission in India is focused on education and runs many schools often in the poorest areas.

In August 2018 I am going on an expedition to India. We will head to St. Joseph's School in Varanasi on the banks of the River Ganges where I will have the opportunity to assist with the teaching of local children in the Hindi speaking school as well as helping their families.

I will also get to spend time with children from a deaf school run by the Sisters in a remote part of Varanasi, where language is not a barrier! And we visit an orphanage set up by Mother Teresa where the children are literally found in amongst the rubbish and brought to the orphanage. They play in the corridors of their home with virtually no toys but the rubble around them.

Although we give as much time as we can when we visit, we also take out gifts for the Order. These include pens, pencils, rulers - general school items that seem to cost a fortune in India, but without which children cannot go to school. We take out clothes and shoes as the Dalit will often only have the school uniform to wear - all day, every day, 24/7! And walking 3 miles a day to and from school is hard on bare feet. Soft toys and games are shared as well. And we try to raise money for the Convent through the Meera Foundation. Giving money to the convent means every penny goes to those who need it, no salaries or posh offices, just pots, pans, shoes, medicines, clothes and food.

The journey will also take me to places where the poorest people live including the Dalits or otherwise known as the 'untouchables' to help and make their lives better.

I will be able to see first-hand how donations from previous expeditions have also been put to use. A few years ago Alton Convent School established The Meera Foundation – our school charity which raises funds to aid the Sisters of Our Lady of Providence at St Joseph’s with their outreach work. Only last year the upper sixth saw the brick building that had been built to house about six families and were also able to see the children were wearing the shoes and clothes that had been taken out with them.

This expedition and experience will be unlike any other and while I am there I hope to do a much good as I can.