Ed Saunders will help build shelters for the children

Ed Saunders, 35, from Cardiff, is planning his fourth trip to the south American country to help with the Street Children of Peru charity project.

He will travel there in August with 12 other people to help build shelters for children who have been evicted from their homes because their parents were too poor to care for them.

Mr Saunders, who works for the Cardiff based law firm Leo Abse & Cohen has been involved with the Scripture Union charity since it began its work in Peru in 1999.

"I feel very passionately about this project because the children live in such horrible conditions," he said.

"For the last three years, I have gone out there with others to try and help and every year we have plans of how we think we can improve the children's lives.

"We think about what we can teach the children, but every time I come back from there I feel like the kids have taught me more than I could ever teach them.

"Our work out there involves building and decorating places for the children to live," he said.

It is heartbreaking to see what these boys go through and devoting as much time as I can to this project is my own way of trying to make a difference Ed Saunders

Mr Saunders said that he wanted to help after hearing how some children are treated in Peru.

Many children are rejected by their parents who are too poor to care for them.

The children, who have no food, clothes or shelter, are often forced to steal and prostitute themselves to survive.

"There is a problem with street children in Peru because people can't afford to look after them," he said.

"Boys are often thrown out of their homes when they are four or five years old and left to fend for themselves.

"Their life expectancy is very low and they often die by the time they are 12 usually from hypothermia because the temperature at night drops very low.

"It is heartbreaking to see what these boys go through and devoting as much time as I can to this project is my own way of trying to make a difference.