Barrymore calls Jolie for advice

Drew Barrymore sought advice from Angelina Jolie before jetting off to Africa to photograph impoverished schoolchildren for Marie Claire magazine, because she felt the United Nations ambassador could give her travel tips.

The Charlie's Angels star joined Marie Claire editor Lesley Jane Seymour and members of the United Nation's World Food Programme as they visited a number of schools near Nairobi.

But she wanted to make sure she didn't appear like just another star taking snapshots, so she called Jolie for advice.

Barrymore says: "I wanted to go (to Africa) because I read an article in the New York Times about education becoming free in certain parts of Africa and how the classrooms were sort of bursting at the seams because so many kids wanted to go.

"I thought that was so extraordinary that I wanted to see and experience what that was like and to sort of go down there and touch and feel and taste that world.

"Angelina has my hugest respect and I actually called her and asked her (for advice) when I was going on this trip and she was very kind. I just think that the work that she does is absolutely inspiring."

The photographs Barrymore took in Nairobi are to be auctioned to raise funds for Marie Claire's World Hunger Campaign.