A DANCE teacher has fulfilled an ambition to follow in the footsteps of Mother Teresa as she and two friends fly off to India.

Monica Ballani, Bhavika Chauhan, aged 21, and Anna Kinley, aged 58, are volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Charity Mission in Kolkata.

Ms Ballani said: “As a child I always wanted to be a nun like Mother Teresa and do the work she did.

“I got married — but I thought I can still do voluntary work at Mother Teresa’s orphanage.”

When she mentioned her dream to her two friends they were keen to join her.

The trio, who live in Halliwell, will spend Easter in India at the orphanage and also working with street children in Mumbai.

They have also sent more than 20 kilos of goods, including school uniforms and stationery. They raised the money to pay for the equipment through donations and fundraising by holding various events such as car boot sales. The trip has been a year in the planning and the trio will be working with established charities.

Ms Ballani, who teaches Bollywood dance, said: “We want to come back and share the stories with people here so we can appreciate how lucky we really are.”

When Bhavika’s mother found out about the trip she wanted her daughter to go and experience how some children have nothing.”

She added: “Anna and I will be spending 20 days in India and Bhavika will be there for a week.”

The three are hoping to continue helping good causes across the globe and have already started making plans to travel to Africa next year.