In 2010 our founder Yasmine Ernst came to Kenya to make a documentary. You can read a bit more about her here. 

Yasmine found herself unable to leave. She tried to work with a number of organisations but kept finding that corruption was very far spread. 

Yasmine noted that many children are being kept in childrens homes despite having family members who could care for them if they had a little help. 

Yasmine continually saw that children were being neglected and dying in homes and police care in completely avoidable situations. 

In 2013 Yasmine started Zaidi ya Dreams with the hope of getting kids back with their familys and providing a high quality of care for those who had no other safe option. 

In June 2013 Yasmine was asked to take a baby of around a week old who had been found by an open sewer in Mathare, an informal settlement. She took this child into her small three bedroom bungalow and the home began to grow. Yasmine relocated to a bigger home in the same compound and was soon looking after many children and infants. The landlord of the home suffered a stroke soon after and was no longer able to have the children on her property. The home relocated to a more rural setting in Ruiru.  

By June 2014 Yasmine had 20 children 3 and under in her care. 

In those 12 months Zaidi ya Dreams had rescued some seriously ill children who were given very low chances of survival. 

One child was seriously ill with chronic pneumonia due to severe malnutrition. A new born with serious sepsis. A new born with a broken leg and bruising leading to blood loss needing a transfusion due to abuse. A three month old who weighed 2.6kg with pyloric stenosis. HIV exposed kids. A new born with reoccurring pneumonia due to lung damage from near drowning in a pit latrine. A child with sickle cell anemia and several fractures due to abuse.  By the end of these 12 months Yasmine had spent more time in hospital with children than at the home. Zaidi was deep in debt from hospital bills but she had 20 beautiful healthy happy children to show for her troubles.  

Between 2014 and 2018 Zaidi enjoyed relative calm. The children grew and thrived. We were able to reunify one of the children who had been with us for a year and see him fit back into a family.  We received many children who we were able to reintegrate far more quickly, from a few weeks to a few months. We built up our school and had a wonderful home. Our yard was a place for adventure and fun. 

We had three teachers take the children through the British education system as well as learning through fun.  Our therapy room allowed children a place to interact with our staff who were being trained in play therapy by student volunteers. The newly set up computer lab allowed the children to do online school programs to keep up with international teachings. Music was a big part of Zaidi, we had dance lessons and were just learning how to play guitar keyboard and African drums when disaster struck. 

On February 2018 one of the children woke up to use the toilet and alerted Staff to an electrical fire that had started in the ceiling, not setting off the fire alarms. You can read about the fire here. 

We lost everything that night but are very grateful that no one was hurt. 

We had to begin again from nothing. After spending six months in another more rural location we moved to Kamiti for the children to access better schooling opportunities. The children started formal schooling while we focused on rebuilding our home. We were unable to secure a five year lease on a home as required by the government. We opted therefore to lease a plot of land and construct a container home. Check out our home and progress here. 

We are still building and look forward to better times ahead. 

The children were in school prior to Corona Virus. They are now home schooling for the time being.   

We look forward to getting back on track and tackling the next few years as the children move into the teenage years. We look forward to equipping them with the skills and education they need to thrive in todays competitive world.