A TEAM of youngsters from North Berwick have recently returned from a trip to Rwanda.

North Berwick Youth Project took 13 teenagers – aged between 16 and 19 –on a two-week trip to Rwanda, where they helped volunteer on a number of projects.

The team travelled to the Bugesera District, where they worked in Faith and Hope, a partner school which is supported by Together in Hope Rwanda.

They painted teaching aids in a nursery and P5 classroom, played sport and games, and taught lessons on human rights.

The North Berwick youngsters also helped with Together in Sport’s food programme – feeding more than 500 children.

Seventeen-year-old Milly Hartley was one of the 13 youngsters to make the trip.

She described it as a “completely life-changing experience”, while she added: “To share it with such an amazing team made it even better.”

Fellow 17-year-old Christy Barbour added: “It is a massive emotional and physical challenge, but as you see the impact of your hard work unfolding in front of you, it makes every second count and is definitely unforgettable.”

To fund the trip, the team raised more than £21,000 over 18 months.

They received grants from North Berwick Trust, the town’s Rotary club, East Lothian Educational Trust and North Berwick Raft Race.

As a result of their generous fundraising efforts, a water collection system was installed at the Rwandan school, which was also painted internally and externally, and each pupil was given a pencil case, book or stationery. The team of youngsters were also able to set up a sewing training room to teach both pupils and women in the local community.

Lauren Cowie, project manager at North Berwick Youth Project, who led the group, thanked everyone involved for helping to raise their total of £21,350.

She told the Courier: “We were delighted with the amount of money we were able to raise, which was a testament to the wonderful community who supported us the whole way.

“We would like to thank everyone who gave a grant or a donation of money or goods and who supported our fundraising efforts.

“We surpassed our target and so were able to give additional support to the projects in Rwanda.”

When not at Faith and Hope, the young people spent time at Comfort Rwanda’s street children project and Comfort Babies, which supports mothers to care for their babies and provides basic essentials.

They learned about the 1994 genocide and visited Nyamata and Ntrama memorial churches.