A PENDLE teenager is jetting off to the other side of the world to help those less fortunate than herself.

Sarah Harrison is spending part of her gap year in Ecuador helping to set up a community college.

Her work will also help to protect valuable rainforest.

The 18-year-old, of Beverley Road, Blacko, will work for charity Rainforest Concern, from April 5, helping establish the college in Yachana, so locals can get an education and not have to give in to the demands of oil companies and loggers.

Sarah said the project had been running for 10 years during which time they had bought plots in the Amazon basin.

She said: "They have got the rainforest back to its natural state and now the charity wants to make sure oil companies don't exploit them and they don't give in to the cash incentives."

Sarah, a former pupil at St Theodore's sixth form and Ivy Bank, both Burnley, will spend three months in South America.

To save for the trip, for which Sarah had to pay £680 to Rainforest Concern, she is working at Nursery Time, Gisburn Road, Barrowford.

This it is not the first time she has helped people in other countries. Last October Sarah helped teach sports to children in Ghana, Africa.

Despite the hard work, Sarah, who will start a social sciences degree at Durham University, in October, said she is looking forward to her latest trip.

She added: "I went to Ghana last year to help coach children and I said then I wanted to do something to help people.

"I can't wait to go, it's going to be hard work but I'm really looking forward to it."