15-year-old Katie from Halifax and her family give money to a charity which helps people in poor countries.
She visited the village of Kinteh Kunda in The Gambia to find out how her money is being used.
"The elders really wanted us to know how much difference the projects funded by our giving makes. They wanted us to know it has changed their lives.
To us in the West it's not much money but to them it is a massive amount that makes a life-changing difference.
The more you smile the more the sun shines
I went to the local school and met the headmaster and pupils. It was nice to see girls of my age and to chat with them.
They were the happiest people I have ever met. They are always telling you the more you smile the more the sun shines.
We have so much that we aren't grateful for, yet they have so little but are so happy. It was really quite emotional.
I think everyone should be given an education and now I don't complain about school as much - I've learnt to appreciate it.
The girls were fascinated by my mum's curly blonde hair. They came up to her and started playing with it.
Katie and Eva
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Lifesaver
I was burnt really badly one day and a girl called Eva gave me a pot of cream made from the baobab tree.
It was absolutely brilliant; it cured my sunburn really quickly. Eva was a lifesaver.
She is 19-years-old, has three children and runs a fruit stall.
She has to have a blood test every three months to check for any illnesses as the Gambian authorities won't let her have a stall selling to tourists if she's ill.
I was invited to Eva's baby naming ceremony, where Eva wore traditional Gambian clothing. She looked fantastic.
Nuts!
I was shown a nut-grinding machine bought by the charity ActionAid. It saves the women of the village both time and effort.
It used to take 20 women an hour to grind the nuts. Now it takes just five minutes.
In The Gambia, village women lead very busy lives. Not only are they responsible for bringing up the children, but they also grow food, go to market and take on many other jobs.
Charity asks first
I thought it was the charity who decided what to do with the money and that's it. But that's not how it works at all.
ActionAid asks the villagers what they want and what will benefit them.
It's really good. They only put projects into the village that can be sustained by the people themselves.
I also met a charity worker, who teaches the villagers how to use and repair the new agricultural machinery.
Rewarding
It's really rewarding knowing you are helping someone else.
I realise how much I have and appreciate it, like things at home such as a TV.
I appreciate things at school such as books and realise how lucky we are to get all these."
Katie, 15, Halifax
ActionAid is part of MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY; a collection of charities, trade unions, campaigning groups, faith communities and celebrities working to stop poverty and injustice in third world countries.
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