As many of us find our ‘new normal’ now includes take-away local foods at home, the delights of Frome’s African Safari Kitchen, led by Sarah Hillman, has been a welcome attraction. Sarah is also the founder of an orphanage, which means 100% of the proceeds from food sales go directly to fund the home of 89 orphaned children who rely on her.
Sarah is a familiar face in her town in non-lockdown times, with queues for her stall reaching round the block each July at the Festival Food Feast every year since 2000. She is also a familiar face to some from Glastonbury Festival.
Speaking about the orphanage, Sarah said, “I originally offered a home to four children because their mother was dying. That number has now become 89 children and I am the mother of all these children. It is up to me to care for them and provide for them so I had to find a way to make money to do that.”
The orphanage, named Mama Upendo Children’s Trust, in Kenya, welcomes gifts like any charity does but the main way for us to provide food, shelter, medicine, education and a future for these deeply disadvantaged children is by selling our food. The pandemic effects have reached these children too; I had to find a way to provide and opening African Safari Kitchen for take-away during lockdown has provided the answer. The words ‘Mama Upendo’ mean ‘mother’s love’ so that is what I must give.”
Closer to home, as our careworkers, NHS staff and so many people labour in challenging circumstances to look after entire communities across the UK, throughout lockdown the African Safari Kitchen is running a ‘Hero Meal’ nomination each week to say thank you and spread the love locally.
You can vote on Facebook to nominate people in the local area to receive a free ‘Hero Meal’. Nurses, doctors, firefighters or simply local, unsung heroes and heroines who have gone out of their way; Sarah would like to hear about them all. Each week winners receive a delicious meal, hand-cooked by Mama Sarah.
If you would like to see the current menu, order food from the African Safari Kitchen or to know more about the work of the orphanage and the Mama Upendo Children’s Trust you can get in touch via text, whatsapp, call direct on 07715 499819 or go via the Face Book page @African SafariKitchen where you will find full details.
