Hamomi

By Bekah Grim

Last month, the Window Shop team asked Creature to suggest nonprofits we’d like to support with the donations. Initially, my mind went to the far away and exotic (rural orphanage in India? refugee relief by Oxfam?) — it reflects how we often think about humanitarian aid as something removed and distant. Yet, we have an amazing nonprofit using office space right here at Creature: Hamomi Children’s Centre. If Oprah gets to have “a-ha!” moments, this was our “duh” moment. We have enthusiastically selected Hamomi to receive all proceeds from the gift shop experiment.

Hamomi provides comprehensive care to orphaned and vulnerable children in the slums of Nairobi. “Comprehensive” means providing primary and secondary education to 140 students, along with medical care, meals, higher education scholarships, and even micro loans to help graduating students start their own small businesses.

I love the philosophy of the founder Raphael Etenyi, who wrote, “These are not children who face one simple problem, so we do not offer one simple solution.” Hamomi understands these children need more than a deposit of algebra textbooks. Students also need a place to do their homework, accessible medical care to stay healthy, mentoring relationships with teachers, and options for what happens after graduation. It’s an incredibly well-considered and sustainable approach to empowering students toward a better future.

We were drawn to the organization for their grassroots creativity and efficiency. Hamomi is headquartered in a two-desk operation, right next to our design studio. It’s managed by dedicated, unpaid volunteers. Susie Marks, executive director, nannies full-time in addition to running the organization and spending part of the year in Africa. Their scrappiness and ingenuity means funding goes directly to Nairobi, not administrative overhead. The feeding program costs just 14 cents per meal and the medical program is $1.60 per month for each child. On Hamomi’s website, they have a transparent breakdown of their budget and costs. All of this to say, a small donation goes a long way.

We’re jazzed about Hamomi and the work they do. We’d love for you to buy our weird trinkets to benefit their cause, or you can donate directly to them.

Our Firefly Returns

We all like to laugh at Robson because he’s Canadian and he has the rare ability to laugh along with us which makes us feel like we’re actually funny. However, beyond what he does to keep Creature going in the right direction and entertaining us, he’s achieved a tremendous personal accomplishment in completing the Fireflies ride from Verona to Cannes over the Alps and triumphantly ending at the sea. But this wasn’t just good for his memoirs, but also for Leukemia, as it raises money to support research for one of cancer’s most sinister forms.

The fireflies are an exclusive club of just over 50 people from around the world that are selected for this masochistic event every year.  I’m certain words and pictures can’t possibly describe the pain of climbing passes up to 2,286 meters (sorry, did it for Linn). If you get a chance, you should read his personal blog.

Ridiculous hills, sheep, and stories of optimistic misery make up the gist of it. I’m quite happy that the news of a Silver Lion greeted him at the finish line. Thank you Robson for representing Creature globally and of course for doing something in the name of a charity we all have a very strong personal connection with here at Creature. 

To learn more about the Fireflies, the tour, the charity and the riders please visit their website.