Ex-Blackpool woman's charity builds schools and clinic in Kenya

Paula Hammack, 78, has been working with members of the Maasai tribe, a proud people who nevertheless have faced a struggle to afford education for their younger generations and in some areas still lack some vital amenities.

Paula has lived in San Francisco since 1963 when a youthful tour of the country unexpectedly led to her staying there and marrying an American.

But despite the intervening 57 years in the Sunshine state, Paula still regards herself as a Blackpudlian and avidly reads the Gazette online to catch up with goings-on at home.

Her father was Harry Roberts, who was the first motorcar policeman in Blackpool , and she still has connections with the town.

When Paula finally followed up her interest in Kenya and visited the country with some friends in 1974, it led to a lifelong involvement she could never had dreamt of.

She eventually ended up setting up the Sterling Africa Foundation and has since established eight vital water wells, set up a health clinic, built three schools and paid for more than 100 youngsters to attend lessons.

Much of the charity's work is based around the town of Narok and the rural villages around it.

Paula, a grandmother and mother of three, said: "My fascination with Kenya started with the Queen.

"She was staying in Kenya when she found out her father had died and she would have to take the throne.

"I was only a little girl at the time and it fascinated me and ever since then I wanted to go there."

More than 20 years later her dream became reality when she touched down in the African state, and it was there she met members of the Maasai tribe, who made a lasting impression on her.

"I got to know our guide, Tirian, and he told me his wife had jut started nursing school, " she said.

"I asked how he could afford that as I knew the cost was prohibitive.

"He said he'd sold a cow for the first semester. When I asked how he would pay for the rest of the four years, he shrugged his shoulders and said he'd have to make a plan.

"I wanted to try and help him and others there.

"When I got home I looked into what it would take to get a foundation started. I got it going and it's been my life's work ever since.

"We pay for 38 students to go to high school and we’ve put four students through university. We have purchased vehicles so that patients from the clinic can be transported and built apartments - one of them is even called Blackpool.

"There is no better feeling in the world than being able to substantially better the lives of people who are really struggling."

Paula has even brought members of the community to Blackpool to see her old home town.

In America she has three grown-up children and seven grandchildren and was happily married to her second husband, Sterling Hammack Jr, for 41 years, before his death 10 years ago.

But she also considers some of the Maasai as her grandchildren and they call her Kokoo Naishorua, meaning grandma and 'gift from God'.

She has now visited Kenya more than 70 times, as well as other African nations - things have moved on from when she first heard about the country as a child.

To find out more about the charity visit sterlingafricafoundation.org