TWO sisters have set up a school in impoverished Africa, which is so popular they are having to turn kids away.

Jemma Collins set up the Brightlingsea School in Ghana following previous visits, which began during her gap year and included work as a volunteer teacher.

Jemma, who now lives in Chelmsford, created the Brightlingsea-based charity Porridge and Pens, with her sister Katie, 22, who still lives in Brightlingsea and studies arts at Colchester Sixth Form.

Earlier this month the sisters, together with friend Joanna Welham, flew out to the school to help out with HIV and Hepatitis testing projects.

Jemma works as a humanities teacher in Southend but returns ‘home’ most weekends because of the charity.

The 26-year-old said she was inspired to help children in Ghana from her trips on seeing so many of them abandoned, with others persecuted for having disabilities like cross eyes. Ghana is also safe.

She bought a £300 plot of land to set up the school for children affected by witchcraft or whose parents could not afford to teach them. Over four years, a further £6,000 was raised and coupled with hard work, the school was finally built.

Jemma said: “I really didn’t expect it to have such life changing consequences.”

Last year, the charity Porridge and Pens Ghana was formed to raise money for the school, which with its 100 children costs £400 a month to run. An extra three classrooms are currently being built, funded by Colchester-based Hills Building Group.

Jemma continued: “Overall, our aim is to ensure that parents do not abandon their children, but work with us to break the cycle of poverty. We work with parents, encouraging them into work, offering community clinics, HIV and Hepatitis B checks and also treatment.”

“We are still a very small charity. All our money is raised through community events and donations from local people who have taken an interest in my story. We do everything from community talks, church cake stalls, summer fetes, sailing club parties to name a few.”

One recent event in Brightlingsea raised more than £2,000, with a slice of cake auctioned off for £25, enough to feed a child breakfast for a year.

Ghana’s Brightlingsea School runs a feeding programme, which faces a challenge as sited in a rural area prone to flooding, it is difficult and expensive to get food products to the school.

Jemma added: “We would love people to get involved with what we are doing, whether it’s running a cake stall, volunteering with us, running a half-marathon or donating. You can sponsor a child at our school, or buy us a chicken or goat to support our school feeding programme.”

To find out more, go to www.porridgeandpens.com or visit its Facebook page.