AN ADMIN assistant swapped the office for an orphanage when she decided to become a volunteer.

Erika Lowe took a break from her job at O2, in Dumers Lane, Bury, to spend six weeks working at an orphanage in east Africa.

She raised £1,000 for the centre, which included a £350 donation from her employer, and paid for her own travelling expenses and accommodation.

Erika then packed her bags and travelled thousands of miles to Mwanza, in Tanzania, to the Forever Angels baby home.

The 26-year-old spent her days helping with the day-to-day running of the centre and caring for the 44 children, who are all under the age of five and were taken there after being abandoned or orphaned.

Erika, of Porchester Drive, Radcliffe, said: “Going to Africa to volunteer in an orphanage was something that I had wanted to do for a while, so I did some research on the internet to find out how to do it.

“I came across Forever Angels and decided to get involved.

“It was brilliant being there, but very hard work as well. I was doing all kinds of different things to support the 20 staff there and worked very long days.

“The children were all really happy and had become used to living at the home.

“The older ones were aware of why they were there, but they coped really well.”

The orphanage is a lifeline for the children staying there and their stories had a profound effect on Erika.

She said: “A week before I got there, a 19-month-old baby girl arrived who had been severely abused. Another baby was brought in the day before I was due to leave who weighed just 1.2kg when she was born. She was about six weeks old when she arrived at the home and had been abandoned at the hospital by her mother.

“That made me realise why the orphanage was needed. It was a life-changing experience and definitely put things into perspective.”

Erika was so touched by the children there that she extended her stay at the orphanage by a week, cancelling plans to go on safari.

She hopes to re-schedule her safari trip in the future and will visit the children at the centre while in Tanzania.

She will also continue supporting the orphanage by holding fundraising events and sponsoring a child.

Anyone wishing to make a donation to the orphanage can visit justgiving.com/erikalowe or foreverangels.org