Femme Staff
People dare to dream. Great people dare to put dreams into reality. There is nothing as great as seeing a dream come true or helping someone, whose dream was almost going down the drain, to its actualization.
There are so many shattered dreams in Kenya. There are thousands of people in Kenya who should have made in life but did not have someone to support their dreams. Some are now old. Days gone. All they can do is look back and say, “If only there was someone….”
Kenya has young and talented people. Some of them have their talents going to waste as they rot and languish in poverty with no one to hold their hand. There are children who cannot attend school in this country just because they cannot afford some simple basic needs.
Imagine there are young girls in this country who miss going to school just because either they or their families can afford a sanitary towel. Imagine how many girls, especially from the villages who miss at least 4 days a month of school days because of their menstrual cycle.
I remember some time back when news emerged that girls most girls in Busia County were so much in need of sanitary towels that some of them had to indulge in sex to have men buy them for them. It was a sad story. No one could imagine that sanitary towels were such important but a luxury to millions of Kenyan girls.
There are thousands of young men and women in Kenya engaging in criminal activities, not because they want to, but because they have no otherwise. The majority of them have no activity that can keep them busy and bring them an income at the end.
Kenya has dreams. Kenya has dreamers. As they say, every dream begins with a dreamer. No dream has ever become a reality through magic; it takes sweat, it takes determination, it takes hard work, above all, it takes someone willing to support the dreamer, no matter what. All our dreams can come through only if we are willing to help others realize theirs.
Giving Back to Society
Almost every organization has what they call corporate social responsibility. This is what they use to help societies who form part of their customer base.
For most corporations, funds set aside for CSR are often used to fund some projects such as water, building schools, helping some members within society pursue their education among others.
However, it is rare to see a company decide to put aside funds to support dreams, not with the aim of getting anything out of them but with the aim of seeing beneficiaries realize their dreams.
It is rare to see a company set funds aside to help people empower themselves in every little way they can, through businesses or through the use of talents to earn a living.
Making Dreams come true
For some time now, I have been following the newly-launched “Ndoto Zetu” program, a Swahili phrase to mean “Our Dreams” by Safaricom. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the amazing stories of the beneficiaries, already realizing the goodies even before the program fully takes shape.
The story of ladies weaving, from different background with some among people living with HIV and who had lost hope, narrating how the program has turned their lives around moved my heart to piece. One lady says, “We were living a life of hopelessness.”
Another story of a young schoolgirl, who is happy beyond measure after receiving sanitary towels under the program is just amazing. The girl says she now has ample time to focus on her studies and see her dreams come true.
What about that story of a football team where a guy says if they are given to play against Harambee Stars, they will literary ‘hummer’ the national team 10 goals to nil? An interesting story, indeed.
Safaricom rolled out “Ndoto Zetu” in what they termed as in their ongoing “spirit of Nawe Kila Wakati”. The initiative was inspired by several other Kenyans who are striving to make a positive impact on those around them. Safaricom is now partnering with such amazing individuals to help bring 500 community dreams to life.
Ultimately, Ndoto Zetu is very much in line with Safaricom’s philosophy Twaweza, which simply means that when we come together, great things happen.
