Whaley Bridge teacher on fundraising mission for Kenyan school she volunteered at 40 years ago

Sarah Lionheart, 58, wants to provide 100 tables for Mwala School - which is attended by 650 boys.

The tables - which seat eight students each - are vitally needed during exams, assemblies, meetings and homework sessions in the school’s newly built dining room.

Mum-of-two Sarah spent a year teaching at the school aged 18 between 1979-1980 but returned in January with husband Bill, 57.

During her recent trip Sarah was ‘stunned’ to be reunited with a student she taught four decades ago called Benjamin Mulinge.

She said: “When he walked into the staff room last month I actually cried and hugged him - it was such a delight to see him.

“He went and worked for the air force and recently retired - I’m so glad he has done well.”

Sarah told how in 1979 she lived in a mud brick hut and taught five classes of 50 students - mostly boys and mostly older than she was.

There was no running water, no electricity and a hole in the ground outside served as the toilet at the school in Machakos - about 40 miles from Nairobi.

During holidays she hitchhiked around Kenya - contracting pulmonary edema while climbing Mount Kenya, being bitten by a scorpion and getting stranded in Uganda by accident.

Speaking about returning to Kenya Sarah said: “I couldn’t sleep the first night knowing I was back in Kenya.

“I was just too happy - Bill said his favourite bit was watching four cheetahs lounging in the shade, washing their paws and faces and rolling about generally chilling out.”

Though a lot of progress has been made at the school now - boys all board whereas in 1979 they walked up to two hours to get there - she wanted to help by providing the essential tables and chairs.

Made of metal to resist termites and built locally, the tables cost £100 while a double set of chairs are £25.

To make a donation click HERE.