CHILDREN living in one of the poorest countries in the world will have a brighter future thanks to the work of a Greenock volunteer.

Arthur Docherty, a nurse at Newark Care Home, has just returned home after a two week aid trip to Rwanda in east-central Africa.

This was the fourth time in the past eight years that the 60-year-old has visited the country with Aid for Education - an Inverclyde charity run by Inverclyde couple Douglas and Sarah Kakooza.

It sponsors children, funds education for school students, provides school materials, helps with health care costs and supports income generating projects.

Arthur said: "Seeing the kids' faces when you go out there and they all start singing and dancing to welcome you - you just feel so humbled.

"The head teacher tells them about the classrooms and how I helped the charity to raise money for them along with the Greenock Celtic Supporters' Club.

"The first time I visited there were two classrooms but now there are six with another on the way.

"So I do feel very proud because it's hard work at times.

"I want to leave a legacy."

Laden with lifeline supplies, Arthur travelled to Tubarere nursery school based in Rwamagana.

He said: "The vehicle the charity uses in Rwanda to pick up volunteers from the airport and to take stuff to the market needed a new brake unit so I took that out with me.

"I also took a printer in my hand luggage.

"The children needed socks so I packed 98 pairs and they also needed cups for their new classroom so I packed about 100 of them.

"Sarah from the charity gave me school books for the P1 pupils and boxes of pencils and felt tip pens.

"I also packed chalk bought two litres of blackboard paint and a wee roller.

"I brought chocolate as it's a bit dear out there and gave everybody something, even if it was just a wee trinket..

"My neighbour, William Bell, donated £50 which was used to buy electrical sockets for the classrooms."

Arthur says education is key to helping children get out of poverty.

He said: "Without an education, they are going to get stuck in poverty.

"A prime example is Claude, one of the pupils I met the first time I visited.

"He's now due to graduate as an accountant."

Last year Arthur teamed up with the Greenock Celtic Supporters' Club for a charity race night for Aid for Education to mark his 60th birthday and the £3,000 raised on the night has been used to help the children.

Some of the money was used to lay the foundations for a new P1 classroom and to install a more accessible water tap.

During his recent visit Arthur helped the teachers with their lessons and used his art skills to draw murals on the walls of the nursery.

He said: "I used a projector and hooked it up to the laptop to draw Peppa Pig on the wall and I also did a couple of freehand pictures from the Jungle Book that they can work with."

During his trip, Arthur also trained up the staff in first aid and supported a micro finance project which allows women to grow crops and sell them at market.

Looking to the future, there are plans to build more classrooms and another dining room plus install another water tank and Arthur hopes to encourage more people to volunteer with Aid for Education.

He said: "We are looking for more volunteers so anyone who is interested should get in touch on 07985158054.."

A further charity race night is being held at the Greenock Celtic Supporters' Club on September 27.