GIVING FOR A SPECIFIC CAUSE

The gifts given to Nyumbani come in many forms: from donations of cash and funding pledges to school supplies for the children. Sometimes visitors who have been to Kenya see a need while there that inspires them to go back home and use their connections and fundraising abilities to fulfil that need.

For Linda Vijeh, a Rotarian and county councillor from Ilminster, UK, the need was milk. After six months of fundraising events such as dinners, quizzes, wine tastings and more, Linda and her supporters raised £1,000 (over $1,200) to buy a cow for the Nyumbani Village.

“When I contribute to causes, I prefer to find a specific project, which gives charitable efforts a better focus. It helps with fundraising because people are more willing to give if they feel there is something tangible as a result,” Linda explains. She should know because she’s involved with many different causes.

In the case of Nyumbani, “Protus (Nyumbani Home’s general manager) was able to give me an idea how much a cow would cost so I had a fundraising target. I have always thought that doing something practical is better than just a handout,” she explains.

Linda’s idea to purchase a cow sprang from a visit she took to Kenya several years ago with 14 other Rotarians who raised funds for Nyumbani and spent two weeks painting, decorating and doing maintenance work at the Home and the Village.

“Although I enjoyed the experience and felt what we were doing was worthwhile, I also began to feel we were a bunch of wealthy westerners turning up long enough to do a few things, then leaving. I wanted to do something more tangible to continue my support,” she says.

Inspired by the Village’s goal of sustainability and the children’s constant need for milk, she went back home determined to fulfill that need.

Although she raised the money in six months, it took another frustrating two-and-a-half years to cut through the red tape and other challenges in making the gift a reality. But in the end, not only did she get proof (a photo) that her gift had finally found its new home, she learned of an added bonus: the cow that arrived was pregnant. According to Protus, mother (name Baraka) and child (named Linda) are thriving, and the mother is providing a good supply of milk to support families in the village.

“That’s mostly certainly a gift from God,” the baby’s namesake says.


**Article to be published in Autumn 2020**

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