Zimkids with Their Exceptional Dolls
The Orphic Gallery in Roxbury, NY is pleased to announce a reception to be held from 5 – 7 pm on Friday, November 29th, 2013 in honor of Tinashe Basa, Director of Zimkids Orphan Trust. The reception will feature the artwork of Zimbabwean orphans, dolls and wire figures, which will be available for donations to the trust.
Dennis Gaboury, Founder, resident of Hobart, and Tinashe Basa, Director of Zimkids, will be presenting a short video about the Trust and will talk about the work they do to improve the lives of the children they serve in Zimbabwe. It is Tinashe’s first visit to the United States and the final stop in a five week fundraising tour of the country that included presentations and skype video between Zimkids and schools from New York to as far away as Fairbanks, Alaska.
Tinashe grew up hard in rural Zimbabwe, passed from relative to relative, battling starvation. Although the top student in his class, he was forced to leave school at the age of 15 as his family could not pay school fees. Determined to continue his education, he worked in the tobacco fields and did illegal gold panning to pay his own way through school. His own hardships sparked a commitment to help other children and began volunteering at the age of 17. Tinashe serves as a role model of persistence, generosity and gratitude for all of our Zimkids.
When Dennis Gaboury moved to Zimbabwe in 2005 with his wife, Oscar award winner and journalist, Elinor Burkett, he witnessed a country ravaged by AIDS, corruption, and violence; a country where 20 percent of the children were orphans and 94 percent of the adults were unemployed. Awed by the creativity of local children, who made toys of scraps and junk, Dennis developed a toy-building competition for orphans that led to a show at the National Gallery. The toys caught the attention of family and friends back in the States, who offered financial help. Zimkids Orphan Trust was born.
How It Works Today
The orphans, who make dolls and wire toys/figures for their own play, regularly create extra which Dennis brings back to the US and sells them through individuals, schools and other organizations. For a donation of $25 donors also receive a photograph and mini-biography of the toymaker.
We are firm believers in the power of personal relationships – between donors and the children, between the founder and the children, between Zimkids’ volunteers and local caregivers. So we ask our donors to write to the makers of dolls they purchase, and the dollmakers to respond with a thank you note.
How You Can Help
Zimkids now helps provide for 200 orphans and so back in Zimbabwe, Dennis distributes 100 percent of the proceeds from the dolls to the children in the form of food, school fees, clothing, medical supplies, or whatever else a given child needs.
Your support of Zimkids through your doll purchase helps ensure that each and every child receives the personal care that they need. For some of the orphans this means extra food, tutoring, or a pair of shoes. For the older members of Zimkids, we provide job training, since economic empowerment is one of our priorities
Zimkids 2013 reception and fundraiser will occur on Friday, November 29, 2013, from 5 - 7 pm. The Orphic Gallery is located at the Roxbury Corner Store at 53525 State Highway 30, Roxbury, NY, at the corner of Main and Bridge Streets.
For further information on ZIMKIDS 2013 or the Orphic Gallery, please contact Phillip Lenihan at 607-326-6045 or phil@orphicgallery.com.
Orphicgallery.com
Zimkids.com
