A Bradford couple are giving up their comfortable home, car and jobs to help build a school for street children in Brazil.

Tony and Kirsten Breen are renting out their two-bedroom house in Thornton, selling their Fiat Punto and trying to learn Portuguese before joining builders in the suburbs of Sao Paulo state.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a long while and can't believe we're actually going," said Tony, 26, a research assistant at the Bradford Cancer Research Centre for three years. He and wife Kirsten, 25, a support assistant for Hanover Housing Association in Shipley, will don hard hats to build a classroom at a school in Sao Paulo before moving on to help at another site in Vitoria, an island off Brazil.

"I don't know how we'll get on. I've only ever built a patio before and put up a fence," added Tony. "But the main thing is we will be giving something back."

Sao Paulo is the industrial capital of Brazil and the city of Sao Paulo has more than 20 million inhabitants with many living in slums.

"The suburbs are very poor from what we've seen on the Internet. I'm sure it will be an eye-opener," said Tony. Kirsten said she was looking forward to living in a community and experiencing a different culture. "There will be things I am bound to miss like chocolate and having a hot bath but I'm sure we'll get used to it," she said. Organised by the charity Latin Link, the couple will head off in March. "As yet we don't know where we will be staying -- it could be on someone's floor or in a church hall, but wherever it is, I'm sure it will be worth it," added Tony.

The pair made Christmas cards and walked the Three Peaks to raise £2,000 to pay for building materials.

After four months in Brazil, they intend to visit South America before heading off to New Zealand where they hope to find casual work.

Tony and Kirsten, both Celts, are now organising a fundraising Burns Night ceilidh at the Quality Victoria Hotel, on January 26. Tickets are available on (01274) 831143