AN Urmston student is sacrificing a month of her summer holiday to help out at a poverty stricken Romanian orphanage. Victoria Brown, 20, of Westbourne Park, will be travelling to Siret in northern Romania in August, where she will be helping to look after children with disabilities. The orphanage she is going to be working at, the Institut Di Copii, was built at breakneck speed for the Challenge Anneka programme several years ago. Victoria, who has just finished the first year of an English degree at Liverpool University, said: "It's something I've always wanted to do. I was supposed to go last year, but I had to have an operation on my eardrum, so I had to postpone the trip." She said the situation in Romania had improved slightly in recent years, but the children were still living in poor conditions. She said: "There are about 500 children at the orphanage, with varying degrees of disability. Some of them have AIDS. "They are in rooms with nothing in them, and we will be their only entertainment. I'm quite anxious about it, but I'm looking forward to it as well."

Victoria is looking for sponsors to help her fund her trip. Anyone who is willing to make a donation can contact her on 748 4741.

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