BUSINESS adviser Paula Claisse has just flown out to South Africa to spend five weeks training staff in rural schools in the Eastern Cape Province.

Paula, who lives in Southampton and is a director in tax practice at professional services' company KPMG, will be joining five other accountants who have volunteered to take part in the Phakama programme.

Phakama, which means "stand up" in Xhosa, is a partnership between two UK charities.

They are Mango, which aims to apply accountants' skills to aid international development, and Link Community Development, an organisation committed to improving education for children in Africa.

Paula, who is based at the Southampton office, said: "I've been interested in contributing towards sustainable development to make a difference to children's lives in Africa for many years and feel very privileged to be able to use my accounting and management skills in this way.

"I have raised over £2,500 for the programme through fundraising and sponsorship and have undergone training to help me prepare for working in a field environment.

"I would like to thank everyone who has contributed including my family, my colleagues at KPMG and my friends at St Michael's Church in Bassett."

Paula is staying with families in rural South Africa and will be working with schools that often lack basic equipment and facilities such as textbooks, electricity, running water or even glass in the windows.