A MUM flew out to meet a child whose lives she had helped transform.

Nicola King, from Egerton travelled with her husband Sam to the city of Quang Ngai on the East coast of Vietnam to visit 13-year-old Dinh, who she has been sponsoring through the children's charity Plan International UK.

Mrs King, a health consultant, has been sponsoring children for 20-years because she wanted her children, who are now young adults, to understand the difference between their lives, and the lives of children growing up in developing countries.

She said: "My children were able to exchange letters and cards with children in different parts of the world and it introduced to them the idea that the world is not always an equal place."

The couple now sponsor three children in Niger, Tanzania and Vietnam, but this is the first time the couple have actually visited a child they sponsor.

Mrs King said: "Since our own children are now grown up, we’ve become much more adventurous with our holidays! Last year we went on safari to Tanzania and this year we decided to travel around Vietnam and visit our sponsored child."

Dinh is from an ethnic minority community that lives in a village in the mountains. After arriving and meeting members of the community, the couple were warmly welcomed into Dinh’s home for lunch.

Mrs King, aged 49, said: “It was an absolute privilege being invited into the family’s home. The building they lived in comprised of two rooms, one of which seemed to double up as the bedroom and living room. They also had a dragon fruit tree in the garden and rice patch which provided them with food.

“Dinh has been learning English and so was able to say a few words to us, although he was very shy. As a present we gave Dinh a world atlas. It was great to show him how far we had travelled from the UK to Vietnam. He seemed really keen to learn.”

Plan International works in Dinh’s community to improve the quality of education and healthcare, and end child marriage. The charity is also working to improve conditions for expectant mothers.

During the visit, the couple went to see a healthcare facility, including a maternity ward, which has been built by Plan International. Before the facility was built, people there would have to travel an hour to the nearest hospital. As a result of the charity providing a local healthcare facility and training sessions for health workers, the rate of pregnant women in the area delivering babies with medical support increased from 69 per cent to 89 per cent this year.

Mrs King said: "We had such an amazing experience visiting Dinh and meeting his family, I really can’t put into words how rewarding it was. I learned so much about the challenges facing this ethnic minority community and would recommend anyone sponsoring a child make the journey to visit them – it’s completely worth it!"

Money donated to Plan International UK through child sponsorship benefits children and their families. A donation of £19.50-a-month helps provide clean water, healthcare and education in communities across Africa, Asia and Latin America.

To find out more about child sponsorship with Plan International UK, visit: www.plan-uk.org/sponsor-a-child.