A caring medical student is giving up part of her summer holiday to help orphans and leprosy sufferers in Pakistan.

Helen Brotherton, 19, who comes from Baildon and is studying medicine at Edinburgh University, will spend a month teaching English to children and staff at the Manghopir Development Programme's complex near Karachi, which has an orphanage, school and leprosy hospital.

And Helen, who eventually wants to become a doctor for the Red Cross, is hoping she will be given a chance to help out in the hospital.

The former Salt Grammar School student is travelling to Asia with the Edinburgh-based student-run charity Humanitarian, Education and Long-term Projects (HELP) but is having to raise £800 herself to fund the trip and is appealing for local businesses to help.

Helen, of Moorfield Drive, said: "The school's for girls aged between eight and 13 who've dropped behind with their English - so we'll be teaching them, taking them away on weekend trips, and doing drama with them.

"We'll also be helping some of the teachers with their English as well and helping out with some building refurbishment work at the orphanage, school and hospital.

"But what I'd really like is the chance to do some work in the hospital - eventually I'd love to work as a doctor for the Red Cross in a developing country so it would be great experience for that.

"I guess it's partly the chance to experience a different culture that's attracted me but some people in developing countries have so much less than we do and it's a chance to help."

As well as working part-time as a waitress at Salts Diner during her Easter vacation, the first year medical student has also been busy taking part in various money-making ventures to help fund the charity's mission, which will involve sending ten students to Pakistan in July.

Along with her fellow aid workers Helen has been selling sandwiches outside the Student Union building at her university, taken part in pub collections and is due to go on a sponsored tree planting and conservation weekend in Scotland next term.

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