Two 19-year-olds Catherine Froggatt and Emily Roberts are getting used to the English way of life again after spending the past year living and working overseas.

Emily from Constantine and Catherine of Gweek Nurseries joined a charitable organisation called Project Trust.

While abroad they taught at in schools, orphanages and children's villages, at the same time gaining experience of another country and culture.

Falmouth Packet:

Catherine spent 12 months in Cuba, where she lived in student accommodation at Havana University.

Although grateful for the opportunity she is glad to be home.

"The living conditions were disgusting," she said. "I don't understand how anybody can study in those conditions.

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"We were given two oil drums filled with water every other day and that had to do for all our washing. If we needed a shower we had to pour the water over our heads with a bucket.

"There was a lot of violence and, in fact, I was robbed at knifepoint soon after I arrived. Some men came into my room and made me put all my belongings into my rucksack. It left me very shaken and set me back for about three months."

She said people were always approaching her and asking her for money because they thought she must be rich.

Emily had very similar experiences during her time in Nairobi, fortunately she was not robbed, but violence was an ever present danger.

"The diet was alright she said, "But it did take a lot of getting used to. The people in Windhoek, where I stayed, relied heavily on goats and cattle for their livelihoods and consumed a lot of meat and milk.

"There were hardly any facilities in the local school where I worked and corporal punishment was still being used The first thing the pair wanted to do when when they landed in England was to get to the nearest pub for a Guinness. Now they have unpacked they have found the adjustment a little difficult.

Catherine revealed: "On the first day back I stopped at a motorway garage but couldn't cope with all the cars and people. In Namibia it is so wide open."

Both girls now want to go to university.

Mr Neville O'Grady, of Project Trust, said: "I feel the public should be made aware of these young people who are showing such a wonderful example of Britain's youth. They are ambassadors for our nation."