But that's precisley how Lake Haven's Ashleigh Green intends to use her break.

Ashleigh will fly to Mumbai in July to stay at three orphanages where she will explain the basics of a profession in photojournalism to the young residents.

She will show them how to operate a digital camera, camera techniques and picture composition; how to capture emotion in a photograph and also the way to produce a sequence of images to tell a story.

It won't be the first time that she has done it, either.

"The children are anxious to learn because they know an education will increase their chances of finding a job and they made me promise to return after my first visit last year," she said.

"I'm hoping to have some pre-loved digital cameras donated for the kids to work with and a donation of $3000 to buy two digital single lens reflex cameras to use in Photoshopping the images.

"The orphanage kids study hard but they're not involved in many creative projects and photojournalism should appeal to them."

Ashleigh said Father Francis Mulackal of the Mermier Bal Ashram was enthusiastic about introducing the orphans to photojournalism.

"Father Francis has been so welcoming and it's an inspiration to watch him and his priests working so hard to change the lives of these former street kids."

At the completion of the courses, one at each of three orphanages, Ashleigh will ask each child to use their images to tell a story.

They may be of an event in the orphanage, young rag pickers who live at the district's rubbish tips or a market worker.

The cultural exchange could also result in a new gain for Ashleigh.

"The kids are really keen to teach me Hindi so I'll be working on that with them," she said.

Ashleigh may be contacted on 0423 138 560 or at her email address of greenash100@hotmail.com