Sam Hutchins and Micky Booth, both 20, will be making the trip as part of the ongoing Project Hope program run

by the Salvation Army’s Bathurst store manager Carla Robinson.

Ms Robinson started Project Hope after visiting eastern Africa a number of times and seeing first-hand the terrible conditions there.

She was touched in particular by the plight of many homeless orphans and made it her mission to help them.

In recent years a number of Project Hope missions have seen Australian volunteers fly to Kenya to help build a school, kitchen, dining room, chapel and community centre in the small village of Makindu.

Mr Hutchins and Mr Booth will leave for Makindu on June 4 and plan to spend four weeks there helping build new cottages to house future volunteers and also running some English classes.

Mr Hutchins, a former Scots School student who is now studying a Bachelor of Criminal Justice, said he had long wanted to travel to Africa and had been impressed by Ms Robinson’s work there.

“I’ve always had it in my heart to go to Africa since I was probably 10 years old but I’ve never had the time or opportunity before,” he said.

“But I’ve now got a month off between uni sessions and I’ve hooked up with Carla’s work so it was the right time to go.”

Mr Hutchins is asking for Bathurst people to donate toys and sporting equipment for him to hand out to children in Makindu.

“Micky and I are hoping to fill 45kg of luggage with donations to take to the school,” he said.

“We’re asking people to donate anything from soccer balls to Australian t-shirts, old shoes, joggers, plain toys, toothbrushes, toothpaste and basic hygiene goods – just anything people can think of.”

“These kids have quite literally nothing, so even being able to hand them a bag of marbles and bring a little bit of joy to their world would be an experience on its own.”

Mr Hutchins said people could drop off donated goods to the Salvation Army Family Store in George Street, Bathurst.