SIGHTS of poverty-stricken children from the slums of Madras with bleeding feet catapulted primary school pupils into a sandal-buying exercise.

Year Three youngsters from Kendal's Ghyllside School were studying village life in India, when they came across a church-run project which cares for some of India's poorest children.

St.

Andrew's in Chennai offers day-care, food and clothing to waifs and strays, who live in terrible conditions.

After seeing photographs, Ghyllside's pupils wanted to help and launched a fund-raising offensive.

They donated pocket money and held a cake sale, which has raised more than £ 133.

Teacher Linda Koppenhol said they had drawn up a list of things to buy, topped by sandals.

Her former neighbour Carol Haines got involved with St Andrew's after moving to India from Kendal 12 months ago.

She told the Gazette: "You hear such a lot about kids today not taking interest in anything except computers, but these children have done all this."

Money raised by Ghyllside pupils, she added, would go a long way.

"One hundred pounds in India will provide shoes for the whole school.

"The school is run from money from the congre-gation which pays for the children's education and also for educating their mothers to teach them about hygiene and welfare," she explained

Year Three pupils will hold their last fund-raising event in a few weeks, when youngsters will grow plants and then sell them.

Mrs Koppenhol said she hoped the support would continue, because it brought home to the children that there were less fortunate people in the world.