STUDENTS at Walthamstow School for Girls have recently been doing their best to improve the quality of life of people in third world countries.

Year 7 pupils at the secondary in Church Hill raised £70 to provide, among other things, fruit trees for a community in Vietnam and chickens for families in Honduras and Uganda.

Led by Head of Year 7 Tess Boyes and head teacher Jane Quigly, the school raised the money over Christmas and in the New Year by holding raffles among themselves.

The money was then sent to charity World Vision which bought the much needed resources for the countries of the schools' choice.

For their £70, the school provided a piglet for rearing for a family in Asia (£30), three swarms of bees which will help to equip one Bosnian family with what they require to start a small business producing honey and beeswax (£22) as well as the chickens (£17) and fruit trees (£10).

The money raising schemes included a unique performance of The Twelve Days of Christmas in which the original words were exchanged for new verses to do with the gifts the students had provided.

Three of the girls, Aamina Khazna, Lily Griffin and Joanna Amaning, said that they had thoroughly enjoyed making the song and were pleased to have contributed to the worthy cause.

World Vision has had a fantastic response since its launch a year ago. It has helped people such as families in Honduras and Uganda who, as a result of a gift of chickens, gain money from the sale of chicks and eggs at market and also gain a more nutritious diet.

If you would like to make a donation to World Vision or to view its catalogue, log on to www.great-gifts.org. Alternatively you can call on 0845 075 7574.