WORKS to harvest rainwater for dozens of children in Kenya has been completed thanks to determined children at a primary school thousands of miles away.

Staff and children at All Saints C of E Primary School in Great Oakley held a sponsored walk, named Walk for Water where children walked 40 laps of the school track to raise £1,300.

This equals to about four miles, the same distance children walk in Kenya, multiple times a day, to fetch water.

Clacton and Frinton Gazette: HAPPY CHILDREN: Pupils from Kathunjuri ACK Primary School queuing at the rainwater harvesting systemHAPPY CHILDREN: Pupils from Kathunjuri ACK Primary School queuing at the rainwater harvesting system

The initiative was borne after pupils learnt about the hardship children at their link school in Kenya had to endure just to have water.

All Saints Primary School has been linked with ACK Kathanjuri Primary School in the city of Embu for nine years.

A spokeswoman at the north Essex school said all the pupils in the school took part with younger children doing as many laps as they could.

She added: “Collectively we raised more than £1,300 and we only have 104 students so this was a phenomenal effort.

“We raised enough for all the works to be completed.

“The children in our school made a difference to children’s lives in Kathunjuri”

St Mary’s Primary School, in Ardleigh, All Saints C Of E Primary School, in Dovercourt, and Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Eight Ash Green and Aldham are all part of British Council’s Connecting Classrooms Link, which connect them to schools in Kenya.

As part of the scheme children learn about Kenya, as well as other countries in Africa and are introduced to a different culture and lifestyle.

Children were shocked their counterparts in Kenya had to walk to a pond, which is about three to four miles away, to get water every morning and every evening for their families.

The sponsored walk raised enough funds to pay for all works related to the rainwater harvesting system. Hygiene materials were also delivered to the school.