A RIBBLE Valley student is helping to raise awareness of the plight of young people in strife-torn Zimbabwe.

Stonyhurst College pupil Tim Lewis, 17, of Hurst Green, is one of 10 sixth form pupils at the Lancashire college taking part in a twinning programme with a secondary school in Harare the capital city of Zimbabwe through a project called Chirwirangwe, which means we will struggle together'.

It twins Stonyhurst College with St Peter's Kubatana and aims to improve the education of the whole person' in both schools, in accordance with the ethos of the Jesuit Missions, which is co-ordinating the programme.

St Peter's was the second Secondary School for blacks in Harare, but it has been devastated by economic hardships.

It was taken over by the government for 10 years, during which time there was insufficient funding to run classes and maintain equipment.

In order for the technology centre to stay afloat the classes were supported by local businesses, which contracted them to produce goods and services.

Now Tim and his school friends, led by Stonyhurst College Religious Studies teacher Paul Warrilow, are promoting their venture by organising fundraising events and have already helped to raise £4,500.

He said: "There is not enough publicity given to the plight of the people in Zimbabwe and the children's need for a good education, including orphans whose parents have died from HIV and AIDs-related illnesses.

"Chirwirangwe is a way of giving them some hope for a better life and also to raise awareness in Britain and encourage people to lend their support.

"So far we have raised £3,500 towards building of the sewerage system at St Peter's and are aiming to help them purchase computers for a much-needed computer lab.

"Eventually, we want their students to exchange e-mails with pupils at Stonyhurst, so we can get to know each other better, but progress is slow because there are frequent power cuts and insufficient telephone lines in Zimbabwe."

Chirwirangwe is to provide a wide range of support, including funding for building improvements, equipment, books and computers.

Pupils at Stonyhurst are benefiting by learning about what is happening politically and culturally in Zimbabwe, which will further improve the quality of their education.

Mr Warrilow said: "Chirwirangwe is a two-way learning process which is mutually beneficial to pupils at both schools.

"The goals for this programme are to bridge the technological gap between the two institutions and to share and appreciate cultural differences whilst living true to the ideals of Education for Justice."