Army Officer Cadets from Portsmouth university spent two weeks in The Gambia, rebuilding a crumbling classroom block at the Soma Lower School in the heart of the country's Lower River Region.

The group of 32 was welcomed to Soma, which has no electricity, running water or sanitation facilities, by thousands of beaming faces, singing and shouting as they ran to greet them.

Officer Cadet Rachel Thomas, a 22-year-old medical student from Gosport, said: 'It was totally awe-inspiring with hundreds upon hundreds of children running towards us.

'It's an experience I'll never forget.'

The £40,000 for the project was raised through grants and donations.
Under the direction of Captain Nigel Hill (Royal Engineers) the team also gathered a massive amount of aid, which was transported in a shipping container.

The officer cadets had been tasked with filling the container with clothes, toys and everyday items, and they wrote hundreds of letters and requests to make sure the aid came pouring in.

One of the hardest parts was deciding who to give it to.

Officer Cadet Toby Hartle, 21, studying environmental hazards, said crowds of people desperate for aid became difficult to control.

'There was such a rush of people desperate for anything, it was all very difficult and demanding. I literally found myself picking up kids that were about to be trampled,' he added.

After the aid was distributed the group set to work with 1,000 cement blocks, metal roofing sheets, cement mixers and a few tonnes of cement to rebuild the school.

The team worked hard in the 40-degree heat to get the classroom built within 12 days.

Madi Jatta, the regional director of education, said: 'I am truly impressed. These people from the University Officer Cadet Corps are what I call true friends.'

Captain Hill said: 'Students seldom enjoy the best of reputations, but I can't praise this group enough.

'They will take from here experiences and memories they'll cherish for a lifetime.'