AN inspirational teenager who feared her dream trip to teach children in Africa would be cancelled due to Covid is back on track.

Grace Lynch, 17, had been frantically fundraising since last December to successfully gather the £7,000 needed for her 'year out' with Project Trust in Malawi.

She was due to leave in August, then September, then two weeks ago was told that her destination had changed to Ghana, as Malawi had gone on to the UK's 'red list' of countries under Covid travel restrictions.

Grace said: "I was a bit frightened the trip would be cancelled all together.

"It was worrying but I knew it would have happened eventually.

"I've been told that Malawi wasn't safe because Covid and the financial situation.

"I'm really looking forward to going to Ghana instead - I've been doing a bit of research on the country and it looks great.

Grace will now spend nine months teaching children in a small school in Anyako, in the Volta Region of Ghana.

She said: "I will be teaching in an Evangelical Presbyterian Primary school.

"It will be for nine months so I am back in time to start university."

Grace lives in the Lilybank area with parents Claire and Eddie and has three sisters and a brother.

She left St Stephen's High School in the summer and has been working at Robert Alexander's Butcher in Princes Street part-time for the last two years.

She created her own special Malawi beefburger to sell in the shop to raise funds, as well running a 5k every day during December.

Butcher boss Drew McKenzie, who runs the business, joked: "I've offered to pay for her flight back at Christmas, so she can work in the shop.

"Grace has been great and this is the chance of a lifetime."

Grace will soon be off on a training trip to Isle of Coll on October 17 with the other 19 people who will be going to Ghana.

She said: "I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and find out the partner I'll be living with."

Grace jets off from London on November 4.