MOST 16-year-olds spend their summers with friends in the park or out shopping.

But Carterton girl Charlotte Hasler spent August working in an orphanage and school in Ghana, Africa.

And the Henry Box School pupil did not rely on volunteering organisations, instead arranging the whole trip herself.

She said: “I’ve always wanted to do something to do with travelling. There is an organisation within the school, but I wanted to do one on my own to see what it would be like.”

Charlotte, who lives with her mum Moira, said: “My mum’s friend has done projects before and she said it was amazing and I decided to go for it.”

She travelled with her boyfriend, Cameron Fisher, who is also 16 and has just finished at Carteron Community College.

She said: “We went online and I got in touch with a woman in Ghana who helped put me in touch with people by email. We wanted to build our confidence a bit by doing it independently, rather than relying on the school.

“I was always going to do it in the future, I’m thinking about creating my own organisation as a career.”

The pair went to Tema in Ghana, arriving on July 31, and worked at the New Life Orphanage.

Charlotte, who has two sisters, Sian, 26, and Georgina, 18, said: “We chose Ghana because we hadn’t heard a lot about it and we fancied doing something slightly different.

“There wasn’t much there, some of the kids didn’t have beds and they only had one football between them.

“I didn’t have any resources or help. I was just left on my own with these kids. I did one-to-one with each child, we did writing games, clapping games, singing games and some maths as well.

“They were on their break from school so I didn’t want to do too much educational stuff or they would get bored, so I had to keep it fun.”

But it was not all fun and games, as the supplies Charlotte took out there were stolen a few days into the trip.

She said: “I’d brought a lot of craft stuff and toys with me but most of it went missing because there’s a lot of street children who just came in and out of the orphanage during the day.

“I then organised for a secure box to be installed fpr the staff and children.”

Before she went, Charlotte – who got an A*, three As and six Bs at GCSE, and is taking biology, chemistry, geography and religious studies for A Level – had to raise £3,000 for the trip.

She said: “I did a sponsored skydive and cake sales at my school and things.

“Burford School, which is where I was then, gave me £500 which was amazing.

“My mum was really, really worried about it, but she’s always wanted to do it too and so she was really supportive.

“If I was to give any tips I’d say organise it well in advance and prepare for the worst. And have fun.”

Student nurse Moira, 51, said: “I thought it was pretty impressive that they were all doing it by themselves.”

 

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