Bob Geldof has inspired gap-year student Frances Paterson to swap her life for one in Kenya.

The 18-year-old from Yeadon, will spend four months in the capital Nairobi, working with an aid charity.

"I've seen all the campaigns and TV shows, and now I am excited to have the chance to be involved personally and do something hands on to help," said Frances.

The trip is part of the Transform scheme, run by Tearfund, a Christian relief and development charity.

She will be working in St John's community centre, in a slum called Pumwani, where dangers of unclean water and sanitation problems are regular.

She said: "I could never help but feel frustrated listening to the pleas from Bob Geldof and the comic relief campaigns about how little we can do to 'Make poverty history'.

"Now I have the opportunity to put this into practice by going to help in some of the poorest areas of a developing country."

"I've heard that it will be a big culture shock, both when I get there and when I come back," she added.

While there, she will help teach at the centre's kindergarten, high school, college and old people's homes.

"I'm going there to do what I can and hopefully learn from the experience," she said.

The former Guiseley School A-Level student of Banksfield Mount aims to study for a drama degree when she returns to the UK.

"I plan to go to university, but I wouldn't rule out being a full-time aid worker in the future."

An orientation week hosted by the charity in London warned of the dangers of disease and infections including AIDS in the region.

It also allowed her to meet the other six members of the all-female team of 18 to 21-year-olds going to Kenya.

She said: "The team are great, but I'm the only northerner. We did team bonding activities such as archery which has helped us get to know each other."

Frances found the opportunity by the Christian charity on the Internet, and has support from her family, friends and her fellow members at Otley New Life church.

She said: "It will be a personal experience and journey for me, to see what life is like over there. We live in a bubble in the west, where all our needs are only a supermarket away."

Her older brother David, 20, was involved with the charity when he went to Israel last year, and also took part in the Live 8 march in Edinburgh.