A WEARDALE teenager embarks on the adventure of a lifetime today working with disabled children in Asia.

Since she left school last summer, Jessica Sercombe, from Rookhope, has tackled numerous jobs to help to raise the £3,500 she needed to fund her trip to Cambodia.

She leaves for London this morning and flies out on Saturday bound for the town of Kratie, which is two hours from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

For the next four months, she will be based at a rehabilitation centre supporting young victims of disease and land mine accidents.

Teaching English to the staff at the Cambodian Veterans International Project centre is another part of her role.

Outreach International has arranged the expedition and her former school, Wolsingham School and Community College, held a non-uniform day to raise £280 towards her costs.

Jessica, who plans to start a course in Peace Studies at Bradford University in September, said: "I did lots of part-time jobs at a bakery and call centres to raise the money to go to Cambodia.

"Much of my role will be to help children through the rehabilitation process but I will also be teaching English in the centre.

"It should be really exciting and probably very challenging at the same time."