A WOMAN from the Isle of Man will meet the chairman of Microsoft today (Wednesday) to discuss global poverty.

Kristina Crawford, who is an assistant to the head of sixth form at St Ninian's High School, has been selected as one of 60 global poverty ambassadors from across the British Isles.

She has been invited to the Global Poverty Ambassador Launch alongside Bill Gates and Hans Rosling, a Swedish statistician and advisor to the Global Poverty Project.

At the event today, which is being held at the London School of Economics, Bill Gates will lay out his vision for tackling world poverty to an audience of students, international development experts and global poverty ambassadors.

The ambassador initiative invites people from all walks of life to engage in their communities in the campaign against extreme poverty.

Kristina, in her role as a global poverty ambassador, will also attend a training weekend in February so that she can deliver a presentation called "1.4 Billion Reasons" which explores why an end to poverty is possible.

The presentation has already been delivered in the Isle of Man by Simon Moss, the co-founder of the Global Poverty Project, in conjunction with the One World Centre, and Kristina is looking forward to being able to do the same.

She said: "I am so excited to have this opportunity, and can hardly believe that I'm going to be meeting Bill Gates. I can't wait to begin giving the presentation."

Rosemary Clarke, director of the One World Centre, said: "Kristina will make a great ambassador and I look forward to working with her over the next 12 months."

The Global Poverty Ambassador Launch will be streamed live on the internet from 1.30pm. For more information visit www.globalpovertyproject.com.