Reddit Crowdsources $65,000 for Kenyan Orphanage

If the Kenyan orphanage had been surrounded by a sturdy fence, Omari would not have been slashed in the face by a machete-wielding thug. He was protecting the 35 children at the Faraja Orphanage, which is run by his mother. Though he and the children survived the attack, they were terrified, knowing it would likely happen again.

TheLake posted the incident on Reddit, asking for $2000 to complete a cement and barbed wire wall around the orphanage. According to the posts, the orphanage had already been invaded twice during the week. On the night he was attacked, Omari was awakened by heavy footsteps. He grabbed the hammer he had stowed under his bed and threw it at the first one who entered his room. His aim was accurate, and the thieves fled. Three of them returned the next night and attacked Omari.

$65,000 in 24 hours

As soon as the story appeared on Reddit, donations began pouring in. The community responded with over $65,000 in 24 hours. The fence will be strong and high, and extra funds will increase security and buy the plot of land the home is on.

Reddit is the wild west of social media sites, a sprawling, no-frills site founded in 2005 by Alexis Ohanian and Steve Huffman. AppAppeal calls it “a dated experience.” Paul Goodman writes on his HubPages site, “The Reddit audience tends to be young and seeking a short burst of entertainment…” The Reddit Facebook page says its mission is “to help you waste time while you should be working — maybe even learn a thing or two.”

Wherever anyone lands on the Reddit-review scale, there is no denying this incident shows the power of social media. That online community is scattered and diverse. With so many subreddits it is easy to get lost, but enough can rally around a cause to make a mighty difference.

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