HARROWING poverty and amazing optimism inspired a Torquay teacher when he visited Uganda.

Hamish Higginson, a citizenship teacher at Westlands School, spent nine days in the East African country as part of a cultural exchange scheme.

He spent the majority of his time at Baale Secondary School in Kayunga, where he witnessed pupils every day overcoming extreme depravations to achieve an education.

Hamish said: "I spent five days with the Baale school, looking at what could be done to develop their facilities.

"There's no running water, no electricity apart from one source to the head teacher's office, and no asphalt on the roads — the roads are like dried-up riverbeds.

"But despite all this it was a lot of fun being there, as well as quite an eye-opener on a few occasions.

"I had previously worked in Romania and South Africa, which I thought would prepare me for Uganda, but given the poverty and the challenges the Baale kids endure every day, it was quite tough.

"They leave at 4am to walk five miles to school on terrible roads, dodging cars, and 80 per cent of the children don't eat throughout the day.

"Then, being on the equator, it's pitch black when they walk home. In the evening they collect water from a bore hole, which is full of typhus and TB.

"You can see the children are ill. They were telling me not to drink the water, but then they bent forward themselves to drink. They really looked after me.

"A lot of them hadn't seen a white person before, but they were keen to make my acquaintance, which was very humbling.

"It was amazing to see them facing challenges every day and wanting to succeed.

"The teachers get paid £200 a month, which isn't enough, so they go off to do other work for two days a week — but the children still go to school. They really want to get their education and to achieve."

Hamish's visit attracted a lot of interest, including visits from Uganda's permanent secretary for education and the minister for secondary education.

They were very keen on what Westlands School is doing with Baale Secondary School, and they wanted to use the scheme as a pilot scheme to be used across Uganda nationally.

However, not all of Hamish's encounters with the locals went smoothly.

He said: "There were challenges with the police and the army. On the last day I was being driven back to the airport and the driver didn't see the roadblock.

"There were guards all around, wearing shotguns and being threatening, and the driver got the worst of their questioning and interrogation.

"But driving through a roadblock near an airport probably wasn't the best idea. The soldiers work in small pockets and if you step on the wrong toes you can get in to trouble.

"When I made it to the airport they had clearly called ahead and I was told I couldn't leave the country.

"I wasn't particularly scared. If I'd done something wrong I might have been worried, but I was able to leave unhindered.

"I suppose it was a matter of when something like that happened, not if, and it was frustrating to deal with that bureaucracy after spending days with the most amazing people in and around the school.

"People visiting Uganda need to be aware of the social and cultural challenges faced within that country."

When Hamish returned to Torbay he brought with him a selection of ornate jewellery made by the Baale youngsters.

He has been selling the necklaces and bracelets at Westlands, with all proceeds being returned to the makers.