Agincourt School has supported Hanada Infants School in Zambia for several years. When we first started helping the school its structure was essentially a roof and three walls with an earth floor. Using funds raised by parents, children and teachers, we have provided the school with tables and chairs and other basic resources for infant age children.

I made the trip to Zambia during the Easter holidays to take out many more classroom resources the fund-raising had allowed us to buy and to assess first hand how the remainder of the funds we have could be put to best use.

Just before my arrival, all the children and our resources had been moved to Mnkhanya School where a new classroom was waiting. Ninety children will be taught each day in our classroom.

I was not prepared for the scale of the celebration my visit prompted, first meeting with His Royal Highness Chief Mnkhanya at his community but for obvious reasons I could only bring photographs of them home to show the children.

The gratitude of the Chief, the teachers and the community was very humbling. The Minister for Education, who was present at the ceremony, was so delighted that this first ever infant classroom in the district had been opened he now wants to duplicate it in other schools in Zambia. The remainder of our funds will now be spent on supporting exactly this – there are plans to set up a classroom in a another ninety children to attend infants school.

So thank you for supporting these children who desperately need help if they are to receive an education – you have made a huge difference to many lives. My aim is now to help the community raise the £40,000 that will be needed to build the classroom in the neighbouring school.