They have travelled to Nairobi in Kenya to volunteer at a school and children’s home five times over the last few years, with the last trip over April–May. 

This time, the school had a need for uniforms. As Ms Westmacott has been sewing for over 50 years, she used her experience to run workshops on how to make uniforms. 

After a trip to America, she decided she was not 100 per cent happy with the quality of her earlier visit so made an unscheduled return to assist with making uniforms again.

“I think people in Bega have been doing great things for the less fortunate,” she said. 

“But I don’t think that people realise what these trips do for me.

“It makes me feel I’m still useful at this day and age.” 

When visiting the home, Mr Westmacott makes the tea and plays with the kids all day long. 

“Africa just gets in your blood,” he said. 

The charity they volunteer with is called WeCare and was co-founded by their grandson Brendan Lewis and his wife Olga Muravyeva. 

WeCare started off by supporting the home for 52 children in the outskirts of Nairobi, before opening a school. 

Some of these children have heartbreaking stories.

One seven-year-old girl was abused by her father, then kicked out of home and abused by boys in the community before being taken in at the home. In another case, a three-day-old baby was left abandoned behind a pub dumpster before being found and taken to hospital. 

Many of these children have families, but ones that are unable to provide for them. So WeCare aims to support the community to get the children back to their parents. 

Why did Mr Lewis chose Kenya as the country to set up a charity?

“You don’t chose Kenya, it chooses you,” he said.

His grandmother is already planning a return trip, saying once you know the kids there, you have to go back. For more info, see www.wecaregeneration.org.