Zaidi ya Dreams was founded in June 2013 by Yasmine Ernst, who studied film in Adelaide before relocating to Kenya. She and her team now care for 20 children under the age of 5, who have either been abandoned or neglected by their families. The home offers a safe environment for children with traumatic backgrounds to heal and grow.
Following the success of The Reel Event, the $2,000 donation from Magill Sunrise Rotary has been used for two purposes:
– firstly towards medical bills for the children, many of whom come to Yasmine quite ill, including one child who was abandoned in a pit latrine at birth and contracted pneumonia and other associated lung problems.
– the other half of the money went towards buying two cows, which will make a huge difference to the future of the home.
In Yasmine’s words, “Daisy and Hambre will supply us with the milk we need to feed the kids, saving us about $150 a month, and will have calves that will provide more milk and give the home an income.”
At time of purchase of the cows Yasmine had to initially wait in the car so they would not be charged the Mzungu (foreigner) price. Then the contract was done and the cows were transported back to their new home in Kitisuru, about 30min from Nairobi.
You can follow Zaidi ya Dreams on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ZaidiyaDreams, where they have thanked Magill Sunrise for the donation.