Teacher prepares for new challenge helping orphans in Swaziland

By helen draycott news reporter

IT'S been a week of mixed emotions for one teacher from Walsall, who has said goodbye to her pupils and colleagues and is now preparing for a whole new challenge in a different country.

The school bell rang on Wendy Brown's teaching career last week after she chalked up up 33 years in the profession – the last 30 at The Jane Lane School, in Bentley.

The popular teacher was inundated with bouquets of flowers and cards wishing her goodbye and good luck.

And they are messages of support which carry extra sentiment as she prepares to take them to another continent.

For the teacher, who lives in the Hamstead area of Great Barr, is preparing for a new chapter of her life.

In September, Wendy will be swapping Walsall for Africa as she sets off to teach poverty-stricken children in the Third World.

And this week, Wendy has been busy boxing up teaching resources – everything from textbooks to stationery – ready to be shipped out, as she embarks on her new adventure.

Wendy said: "I am going to Swaziland, in southern Africa, to work voluntarily at an orphan care centre, where there are 48 children aged between four to 18 years old.

"Swaziland is a tiny land-locked country, crippled by poverty and about 45 per cent of the one million population are believed to be infected by AIDS.

"FAK International, based in Birmingham, are very kindly helping with shipping the much-needed school resources for the school."