A WINCHESTER volunteer has been helping the work to combat AIDS in third world countries.

Former Peter Symonds College and Henry Beaufort School pupil Jade Beck has returned from Zambia where she spent three months.

Jade,19, from Rowlings Road was in Choma where she worked to improve knowledge and understanding of good sexual health to help combat the spread of sexual transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV

Her work was vital especially as nearly 13 per cent of Zambia's adult population are living with HIV and last year there were 20,000 AIDS related deaths.

Jade worked alongside young Zambian volunteers to deliver sex education classes at local schools and youth groups.

She and her team mates also organised awareness raising days in the local community, and trained local volunteers to become Sexual Health Champions – who will continue to offer information, advice and counselling about sexual health to young people in Zambia now that Jade and her team mates have left.

She travelled to Zambia with the UK Government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) programme. ICS volunteers work in Africa, Asia and Central America on projects to improve health, education and livelihoods for people in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Jade said: "The biggest challenge was seeing how many people die due to limited health care. While I was there my host mum attended three funerals, one for a still born baby and a little boy from next door.

"My biggest achievement was when we painted a school which had only recently got a roof, everyone was so appreciative.

"We also delivered some sex education classes at a school for children with disabilities and that was really rewarding.”

“HIV and AIDS aren’t as common in the UK so I don’t think it’s talked about a lot, we definitely need to raise more awareness.”