A 26-YEARS-OLD teacher has left her lakeside home and large family in Uganda for the first time - to help with youth work at a Leigh church.

Now Anna Kiwedde is delighting in the joys of learning about life in a totally different culture.

She has developed a taste for English potatoes and fruit and loves chips, crisps and boiled spuds plus sweet apples, grapes and oranges Though the daughter of a Ugandan Archdeacon confesses to being able to eat anything that is edible she has discovered she dislikes beetroot and pickled onions.

When Anna, the sixth child of nine arrived at Christ Church, Pennington, she stayed at the vicarage for two weeks before moving in with church members Russell and Liz Roberts with whom she will stay until after Christmas.

Now the vicar, the Rev Tony Butterworth, is appealing to parishioners to help make Anna feel at home by welcoming her into their homes for meals and conversation.

He said: "How would you feel if you were taken several thousand miles and dumped unceremoniously in a northern town few people have heard of? Anna is rejoicing that she is with us, but she cannot fail to feel sad at being so far from her family. It would be lovely if she was looked after at least four or five evenings a week."

Anna's home is in Luzira, just a few metres away from East Africa's largest lake, Lake Victoria.

All her brothers and sisters are Christians and her father is responsible for seven parishes in the district. Her mum is a retired primary school teacher who spends her time gardening and helping out at Mothers' Union groups and Christian Fellowship groups.

Anna completed her first degree last August and graduated in October and has been working as a nursery teacher in a pre-school and day care centre.

She has also been a voluntary Sunday school teacher teaching the English Sunday group of 35 to 40 children and has trained both youths and children in art and crafts.

She said: "I like all colours especially dark and bright colours, but I love pink and purple.

"I can eat anything that is edible. I like testing all types of English food though I love English potatoes.

"I can take any drink apart from lemonade, wines and alcohol."

"I had never travelled outside Uganda and lived away from my family before, so this was my first time on a plane. I am having new experiences and am so glad and excited that God has provided me with this opportunity to share and learn from a different culture and country and I am so blessed to experience the generosity, love and care."