Six-year-old Nadhar had one dream – to go fishing, just like his fisherman father. What held back this little boy from Vypeen was his battle against a life-threatening disease. That’s when a group of college students from the city approached him with the question, ‘What’s your biggest dream?’
Dream Factory was formed by a group of friends from different colleges trying to bring hope to children fighting life-threatening diseases. The one-and-a-half-year old organisation has already fulfilled the dreams of seven children.
Volunteers from Dream Factory arranged for Nadhar and his sister to visit a fish farm. Having fulfilled his wish, the young volunteers spent a whole day taking the children around the city and making sure they had a good time.
“We don’t stop with just fulfilling their wishes. We first meet their doctors and learn about their condition. We keep in touch with the children constantly and do whatever we can to make sure they are happy,” says Rizwana Mahamood, a college student who is one of the founders of the fledgling organisation. When Nadhar was hospitalised recently, volunteers from Dream Factory visited him to bring him the one thing he kept asking for – chocolates.
Dream Factory works with children between two and 12 years of age who are suffering from life-threatening diseases. The first wish they fulfilled was five-year-old Ajmal’s, who wanted to go to an amusement park. Dream Factory volunteers met the owner of an amusement park in the city and conveyed to him the little boy’s wish. Soon, Ajmal got to spend a whole day at an amusement park with his sister and family.
The group was started when a bunch of students who were friends on Facebook decided they could do more with their time than just go to college and hang out with friends.
Inspired by Make A Wish Foundation, the students decided to find out more about a few children with life-threatening medical conditions who they knew through acquaintances. The volunteers constantly keep in touch through Facebook and meet up occasionally too. “Some of the children did not have much hope when we met them. We just them to have a good time and be happy,” says Rizwana.
The group, which has about 40 volunteers in the city, is as yet unregistered. They have no regular source of funds and they depend on people close to them to back their efforts to bring smiles to the faces of children.
Those interested in volunteering for Dream Factory can call 9995774619 or 9809812295.
