Each year seamstress Peggy Campbell takes equipment and materials to the mission centre at Nariokotomo, and runs classes in sewing and handicrafts for local women. Peggy made her first trip to Africa in 1996, soon after her husband died. For years she had been working with the homeless in London, and fundraising for the Catholic charity New Ways, which runs a school, health programmes, medical centres and many other projects on Nairobi and out-stations around the country. Once she got there she took to the people immediately. Peggy also realised that her years of experience running her own business as a curtain-maker meant that she had many useful skills to offer.
Conditions are very primitive.
But Peggy is able to teach sewing and handicraft skills with the most basic equipment - including manual sewing machines. In the villages Peggy said people live in dirt huts. At the mission centre limited electricity is supplied from solar panels and batteries. There are outside latrines. Water comes from deep wells and is rationed.