YOUNGSTERS at Puddletown First School have been broadening their horizons through links to a school in Ghana.

The school has been doing a number of activities to support the school in Tafo, rural Ghana, and had a special visit from former BBC producer Humphrey Barclay – who had created a DVD featuring pupils from the two schools.

Puddletown youngsters had previously held a cake sale for their Ghanaian contemporaries and they have also been writing letters and drawing pictures to send out to Africa with a selection of toys and T-shirts they had created.

Thanks to their efforts the school in Tafo was also able to paint their walls for the first time.

Headteacher Viv Burgess said: “From our point of view it’s about increasing the children’s general awareness.

“The link with Tafo is fantastic and gives the children a growing awareness of a world outside Puddletown.

“The DVDs are really good because they can see the school in Tafo and the children get to understand different cultures.

“The amazing thing they see is how happy the children out there are, everything is very basic but they just look so happy.”

Mrs Burgess said Puddletown First School was a recognised Rights Respecting School and was currently working towards level two recognition, which involves global citizenship.

Mr Barclay said: “The film actually has the children from the two schools inter-cut so although they have never actually met before it almost seems like they have.

“What one tends to get across is these children are just like each other, in very different circumstances, and the appreciation they have for each other.

“The children here see the children in Tafo have the same potential have the same potential but much fewer resources and the children in Tafo see there are people who are interested in them in the outside world.”