Spooky fundraiser for Kenyan childrens’ charity

THE Temple Gate Hotel is set to be transformed for a spooktacular event this Hallowe’en. On Sunday, October 28, the hotel’s great hall will be the venue for a Monsters and Masquerade’s charity ball.

The event has been organised by Andrea O’Loughlin to raise funds for the Dream Children’s Home in Kenya.

The orphanage is a place that is very close to Andrea’s heart, as she spent ten days volunteering there last summer.

“At the start of every year I look for a challenge and I came across an ad looking for volunteers to go to Kenya as part of a programme with Kenya Build,” said the 31-year-old.

“They’re an Irish organisation and a registered charity that look for volunteers to deliver aid and help to build schools and orphanages for destitute children in Kenya. They were looking for people to volunteer at an orphanage named Dream Children’s Home.”

Just last June, having fundraised €3,500, Andrea departed from Dublin Airport on the trip.

“I knew it would have a huge impact on every aspect of my life, one that I knew would most likely change the course of my life,” she said.

On arrival at Nairobi airport she met with her fellow volunteers who had landed from many corners of the world, including the US, Netherlands, UK and Ireland.

“We were a small intimate group of seven individuals each with a passion for implementing positive change in the lives of those much less fortunate and a thirst for discovery, extremities and new experiences,” she recalled.

Speaking about her experiences there she said, “It is very difficult to describe in words the impact my trip to Kenya have had on me. I knew it would be tough. I knew I would cry. I knew the children’s faces would break my heart and completely win me over.”

While she describes her journey as the “trip of a lifetime”, she added that the conditions the children had been living in before going to the orphanage were “horrific”.

“We visited as part of the trip a place called Kibera where a lot of the orphans come from, which is the largest African slum. It’s quite horrific. There are 52 orphans at the Dream Children’s Home that originate from the slum,” she said.

Andrea said that having returned home from Kenya she vowed to do more to help. “I could not forget the many exceptionally brave people that I met, from the orphanage owners at Dream Children’s Home, Rachael and Steven right down to the 52 vulnerable needy abandoned and forgotten children. Despite their circumstance each of my 52 new friends at Dream are prospering, and are always in great spirits. They have health, happiness, hope and love. Many of these children are uninfected, well-behaved, well-disciplined, smiling and appreciative of the tiniest things.

“The littlest of Dream’s children just want to be picked up and hugged. The only one I heard to cry was a little boy called Riyain who unfortunately is battling stomach cancer. They have lost their parents, their role models, and simply crave love, affection and security, and a fair second chance at life,” she said.

“It is my personal goal to alleviate the financial strain felt by orphanage owners Rachael and Steven as Dream is not funded by any governmental organisational but relies simply on the generosity of both you and I. The children that reside at Dream are indeed the lucky one’s who have been picked up from the streets, abandoned, found at local dump sites and many other equally horrific origins, The children at Dream have been given a chance at life.”

With this in mind, she has organised the Monsters and Masquerade’s Ball for the weekend before Hallowe’en.

“This event will be frightfully great fun and will give you an opportunity to get dressed up or down whichever you wish. Because of the theme you can go all out monster fancy dress, or you can dress up in a ball gown with a mask. Costumes are encouraged but completely at your own discretion, feel free to dare to wear what you like,” she said.

Tickets to this haunting Hallowe’en hoolie include a three-course meal and the event is strictly over 18s. And after the meal you will be able to dance the night away to the sounds of Ain’t No Saints followed by DJ Deadly. Tickets are available direct from Andrea on 087 1410699 or from Brogan’s Bar & Restaurant, O’Connell Street, Ennis.

For more information on Kenya Build check www.kenyabuild.com.