Teams of pupils from The City School, Chaucer Business and Enterprise School, Myers Grove, Springs Academy, Fir Vale and Westfield Sports College will work with students and staff at Sheffield Hallam to set up their business ideas. All the profits will be used to help combat HIV and AIDS in an impoverished village community in the African country of Lesotho.

Student volunteers will work closely with the Year 10 pupils on setting up and running the businesses as part of the 'Kanyekanye', meaning 'all together', project. They will also teach them about the problems of HIV/AIDS and poverty in Africa, and the teams will get business advice from experts at the University's Enterprise Centre.

Ken Dunn, assistant head teacher at The City School, said: "We're delighted to be working with Sheffield Hallam on the Kanyekanye project. Together we can make a really positive impact in Lesotho, and on our young learners in Sheffield."

The businesses will run from November 2008 to February 2009, and the team that makes the most money will be whisked off to Africa to visit Lesotho. The trip will be organised alongside The City School's existing Malealea project, which gives Sheffield children the chance to work in underprivileged parts of the country.

Dawn Yates from Hallam Volunteering said: "This is a great opportunity for students to develop their skills and gain experience of enterprise, health and wellbeing, youth inclusion and global poverty. We're working with over 150 school pupils to raise money to fight the global battle against HIV/AIDS and poverty."

Lesotho in southern Africa, known as 'The Kingdom in the Sky' because it is so mountainous, has one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection. The current average life expectancy is estimated by UNICEF at 35 years. Poverty is widespread, with the UN describing 40 per cent of the population as 'ultra-poor'.