WOMAN OF PASSION: I advertise for firms in exchange for donations

When Zahra Kassamali needed new mattresses for orphans, she turned to Instagram for help.

Within four hours she had 60 new mattresses, 60 new bed sheets, and 60 new pillowcases to be distributed to an orphanage in Mombasa. “You all are amazing. Not only did we manage to change lives today, but we worked as a community to do something beautiful. Every contribution today showed the power you people hold and I pray that it continues so we can accomplish more,” she tells her followers.

Social Media

On any given day, Zahra uses social media for one-off fundraising and also long-term charity projects. She is the founder of Support Unite Prosper (Sup. Kenya), a platform on which businesses advertise in exchange for charity.
Some of her posts seek items. Others request for money donations to improve the living conditions of the people in nursing homes and orphanages.
On some days, she turns to corporates and individuals to donate equipment such as sewing machines and computers to create jobs for needy girls.
"Not only did they help source a teacher, but also provided materials for the children to get started on their journey to self-sustainability. They already learned how to make aprons and are selling them,” she says in another post.

Alms House

When we meet her for the interview, she is just from the Alms House, famously known as Nyumba ya Wazee, in Tudor, Mombasa. She hopes to work with Alms House to adopt a nursing home kind of concept. “They asked for Monopoly, cards or any games, colouring books, markers, crayons, radio batteries, radios, front tire for a wheelchair bicycle, crocheting materials and a Koran in Arabic and Kiswahili. If you would like to donate any please get in touch,” she posts.
Before that, together with Lansinoh Kenya, she had donated 50 boxes of lanolin cream and nursing pads for mothers at Coast General Hospital.
Every month she makes newborn hampers for the mothers at the hospital. “It is my most favourite thing to do. Sometimes many companies offer to do the hampers, other times it is just one, “she says.
The next day after our interview, she donates two computers to Behoca Foundation, a rehabilitation centre for street boys, all thanks to her Instagram posts.
Not too long ago, charities were characterised by children or volunteers, cans in hand or handing out flyers to invite people to harambees.
Now, Zahra says posting an appeal online can be a very effective way of raising money.

Marketing Tool

“For me, Instagram is the best marketing tool. I can post a picture and within a few minutes 50 people have seen it. Sup has grown in other countries because of Instagram. There is Sup Brisbane, Sup Nigeria and Sup Tanzania. My daughter wants to start Sup kids,” she says.
Zahra does not own an orphanage or a nursing home. Rather, she uses Instagram under the account Sup. Kenya to advertise and promote businesses in exchange for donations. “This platform only works with the help of my followers. Otherwise, none of what has been done would have been possible. We promote businesses and at the same time give back to those in need,” says Zahra.
For a story post, businesses donate Sh1,000 or more and for a feature on the page, businesses offer their products and services as a donation to Sup Kenya.
“Anyone can help. It can be a donation of Sh1 or a million, but you will get the same kind of advertisement on my platform. The platform can also be used by individuals. Some prefer their donations to be confidential, others do not mind the publicity,” she says.

Challenges

At first, the idea was difficult to get across, but with time it has become easier because of her followers' support.
“I started Sup.Kenya in January this year after I realised that I could not reach people outside my circle. I asked myself, how can I connect people, businesses and how can we give back?" she recalls.
Part of the reason she seeks the help is to teach businesses that they can give back to their communities in many small ways.
“If they give me the money to advertise, it goes to charity. Some give products that we take to the people. It only takes that little power to make a difference,” says Zahra, who says she gives without expecting anything in return.
The 27-year-old was born and raised in New York and moved to Mombasa nine years ago. “It has always been in my nature to help. It get it from my mum, who is very strong and resilient,” she says.
Zahra's caring spirit drove to her to enroll in a nursing school in New York, but the dream was shelved after she got her first child.
Outside charity works, she runs Nyali Playhouse, a supervised children's play centre. “I have two daughters and a husband, who is very supportive,” says Zahra.
Is it easy to run charity? I ask.

Fundraising

“Fundraising takes time and a lot of patience. Sometimes we are not on the same page with people that I work with, like orphanages. It gets frustrating. I also had to learn that you cannot change everything. Sometimes I say no because at the end of the day, I am responsible for people’s money and I have to make sure that I get value out of it,” she explains.
It can also be emotionally draining. “You feel like the world is on your shoulders, so you have to step back and remind yourself that you are doing what you can,” she says.
“I might look like I have it together, but I am just an ordinary girl trying my best.”
She hopes to grow the initiative into a PR firm to handle advertising and marketing in exchange for charity.

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