Pestalozzi students at Parkhurst Hall

They began with a Zimbabwean dance which was followed by a entertaining programme of music and movement from the far flung corners of the world these students come from - Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tibet, Nepal and India.

The short and informal show was compered by Nenane Sichone from Zambia, and was a way of showing how students from different countries come together and share their experience and culture down to learning each other's national songs and dances.

Prior to the display, the audience heard how the Pestalozzi Village is progressing from student programme co-ordinator Liz Chahal.

She told UNA branch members how there are 36 students at present at the village which is now in its 50th year, having been set up to educate children from stuggling or primitive communities around the world.

Liz said: "Some of these children come from very deprived backgrounds indeed, and might have lost both their parents.

"They have such stories. We had a student who has gone on to Harvard University, who had a very lowly background in Nepal - he used to run barefoot across mountains for two hours every morning to get to school and back again every day. Now he is studying economics. There are lots of stories like that, there are some real challenges. The children come in a little bit nervous and unsure, and then they go on this special journey together."

A strong feature of the Pestalozzi village is that students receive an education which will be of benefit when they return to their home community, including medicine, civil engineering, economics and agricultural studies.

The current plan is to build new accommodation so that more students can come to study, and establish the new building as a community asset and local facility, with a conference centre which can be hired out to organisations and businesses to generate income.