TRY spending three months in a poverty-stricken country halfway around the world.

The idea may not have instant appeal, but luckily one Accrington vicar knows that travel is good for the soul.

The Rev Ian Robertson, 59, of St John's Church Accrington, has just returned from a three-month trip to Tanzania, training student priests at St Mark's Anglican Theological College in the capital Dar-es-Salaam.

Mr Robertson said: "The response of the students was superb. They were all so keen to learn.

"Over there, people who want to enter the priesthood are very poor. The government only allows you the equivalent of £15 a month to live on, and that's if you're married. If you're single, it's only £2 a month.

"Despite that, they are very generous people and always willing to share what they have with others. Many of them gave money to charities to help the Church and new churches are being built all the time."

Mr Robertson spent nearly a decade working in Tanzania between 1974 and 1983 before becoming ordained.

He said: "A lot has changed since I worked there. There never used to be any TV and there was only one radio station - there are around 14 now.

"We still had problems from time to time with water shortages. You depended on electricity to pump the water, so if there was a power cut you had to go outside and pump it by hand.

"The centre where we were staying was very big and the temperature was between 28 and 30 degrees every day, and it was very humid."

While there, Mr Robertson also visited Zanzibar with some of his students.

He said: "We visited the main cathedral there, which is built on the site of the old slave markets. In fact, you can see the old whipping-post in front of the altar.

"The Christian Church is very much developing over there. At one of the services, around 300 people came, which is quite something considering that Islam is the dominant religion."

Although he has no plans to return in the immediate future, Mr Robertson said he enjoyed his trip.

He added: "Being a priest takes you on a journey and I have wanted to work in Africa since I was about four years old.

"I am sure I will return at some stage. Although there are a lot of differences between Africa and Accrington in terms of culture and lifestyle, some things are the same, and the faith is the most important.''