Each year students from NAC travel to South East Asia to help build houses and renovate schools.

As part of the Annual Service Learning Mission the year 11 students will also visit orphanages, spend time with disabled children and donate funds for rice.

In recent years students have planted fruit trees to help promote sustainable growth and income for disadvantaged communities.

This year’s group, joined by students from Shoalhaven Anglican School and Arden Anglican College, will help build 24 houses.

The annual trip has become a tradition at NAC and has been developed under the guidance of teacher Felicity Reynolds, who has visited the region for the last four years.

She said on arrival this year’s group will be heading to the Mekong Delta to get straight into repairing a school.

“It’s hot and pretty hard work,” she said.

“But the students love it.

“They come back more grateful for what they have here in Australia.”

Student Amelia Langley was looking forward to seeing how the people of Cambodia and Vietnam live.

“Not everyone is as lucky as us,” she said.

Imogen Riordan said she was interested in the children.

“I’m looking forward to going to the orphanage,” she said.

“I think it will be pretty confronting.”

Last year, 22 houses were built, 170 mango trees were planted and cash donations for rice were made to the orphanages.