We honor and remember our founder, Virginia Burbank

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We honor and remember our founder, Virginia Burbank

It is with a profound sense of loss and gratitude that we mourn the loss of our great founder, Virginia (Gigi) Burbank. Her vision, faith, and bold action led to transformative change in the lives of so many children and An Orphan’s Dream community as a whole. Her love continues to stretch around the world.

Please join us:

  • Her public burial will be held on May 27th at 1:00 PM at The Village Cemetery, 339 Washington St. Weymouth, MA.

  • A celebration of her life will be held at An Orphan’s Dream Annual Fundraiser on June 8th at the Quincy Yacht Club, 1310 Sea St., Quincy MA.

Virginia A. Burbank

Virginia A. (Lewis) Burbank, 85, went to the Lord on Sunday, February 9th, 2025, after a brief illness.

Virginia (Gigi) was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, on July 19, 1939, the daughter of the late Charles Lewis and Helen (Bishop) Lewis.

She was the wife of the late Joseph Burbank and the sister of the late Marilyn (Lewis) Birnie. She is survived by a daughter, Leah Burbank, Leah’s companion Karen Turner, and Karen’s son Nikhil Turner, as well as nieces Heidi Cerullo and Rachel Haley.

Gigi was taught by many inspiring nuns at Cardinal Cushing High School in South Boston.

Gigi's mother, Helen, owned a dance studio in Dorchester, Mass and taught there when Gigi was young. Gigi and her sister, Marilyn studied Tap, Ballet, and Jazz and were both very talented dancers. When Gigi was 19 years old, she toured for a summer with a professional dance troupe.

She graduated from Boston State College. She taught English at Cohasset High School for many years. And before that she taught in Hull, Mass at The Jacobs School and Memorial Middle School.

During her long career at Cohasset High, Gigi directed her kids on stage in Shakespearean plays through her involvement in the English Humanities Program and ran the Hingham School of Dance with her sister Marilyn. 

She was an engaging, fun and dynamic educator and was inventive with her teaching techniques, teaching her students vocabulary and grammar using rhythm and song, for example.

Gigi was also the host of her own Christian cable show called “You are the Light of the World”, interviewing many inspiring people involved in the Christian community.

An avid traveler with an appreciation for different cultures, she studied Italian at Middlebury College, spoke the language fluently, went on many trips to Italy with her family throughout the years, and even lived in Europe for a year, travelling to many different countries.

Following her retirement from teaching, she established an antique business in Plymouth with her dear friend Rosalind McKenna. During this time, she became adept at reupholstering furniture.

Her life was changed after visiting her sister Marilyn’s ministry Kenya. Virginia was inspired and a brilliant vision came to light for her, to build an orphanage for children orphaned by AIDs and domestic violence in Kenya. After returning to Cohasset, she began raising funds for the project she named An Orphan’s Dream.

Through the generosity of many friends and donors, land was purchased in Gachoka, Kenya and construction began in 2010 for the orphanage, named Oasis of Peace. Virginia lived at there for 9 years, directing its spiritual life, the day-to-day education of the students and the operation of the household. Many children who entered the orphanage and thrived under her care and that of the “mothers” who were part of the staff. The orphanage continues to thrive to this day, providing a nurturing home for 40 to grow and strengthen their education and spirituality and prepare for a successful launch into adulthood.

After returning from Kenya, Virginia resided at Brookdale House in Quincy and eventually at the Harbor House in Hingham. Virginia was very grateful for the care she received at both facilities as well as from the staff on the fifth floor of the Pratt Building at South Shore Hospital.

She also enjoyed great friendship, care and devotion over the years from her closest friends, Susan Finn, Krisi Richards, Carol McLaughlin, and Paula Young.

Donations in Virginia’s memory can be made by donating online or via mail at P.O. Box 692727, Quincy MA 02269.

There will be a celebration of Virginia’s life and her legacy at An Orphan’s Dream Annual Fundraiser on Sunday, June 8 at the Quincy Yacht Club, 1310 Sea St., Quincy from 3:00-7:00PM.

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Merry Christmas from Oasis of Peace!

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Merry Christmas from Oasis of Peace!

Christmas was celebrated through joyful and beautiful festivities at the Oasis of Peace! Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors the children were able to enjoy a party, gifts of new clothes and a field trip to the Rift Valley. Their hearts are full and they are extremely grateful, sending love to all.

Christmas Party!

Christmas Party Dancing!

The Children Received Gifts of New Shoes & Clothes!

Showing off the new clothes in group photos!

A Field trip to the Rift Valley!

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The new irrigation well is complete!

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The new irrigation well is complete!

Due to the generosity of an amazing donor, we have installed a new solar powered pump and drip irrigation system that will provide the ability to grow more crops to feed everyone at Oasis of Peace Orphanage and the children also have the opportunity to learn farming skills. There are 1200 pawpaw seedlings currently being nurtured and they will be transplanted to the fields soon.

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The 2024 Annual Fundraiser was a joyous event!

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The 2024 Annual Fundraiser was a joyous event!

Over 100 people gathered at Quincy Yacht Club on June 14, 2024 to celebrate the opening of the new dormitory, to commemorate the launch of the Jean Conners Memorial Education Fund and to raise funds for the operation of the Oasis of Peace home for children in Kenya. We were happy to welcome the Fonte family and hear about their trip to visit Oasis of Peace last year. There was great conversation, dancing, a beautiful sunset after a downpour and even a rainbow! We are grateful to all who were able to join us in person and to everyone who wasn’t able to make it but made a donation anyway! If you missed the event, you can still make a donation. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

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The girls move into the new dormitory!

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The girls move into the new dormitory!

We are so thrilled that after 2 years of construction the dormitory is complete and the girls have moved in! Take a tour of the new building via the video featured above and check out the photos of the dormitory below! We are so grateful to the donors that made this dream a reality. THANK YOU!

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Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

We are grateful for the generosity of our sponsors and the many blessings we enjoy every day. We wish you and all of your families a healthy, happy and peaceful New Year!

These photos were taken just after the Christmas party that the children enjoyed very much. You can also see the great progress of the boys dormitory in them!

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In Memory of Jean Conners

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In Memory of Jean Conners

Jean Conners was an extremely generous and kind donor of An Orphan's Dream, sponsoring Linda for many years along with her dear husband John. Jean passed away on December 17th, 2023 and the children at Oasis of Peace celebrated her life and mourned her loss through a beautiful memorial service. We are eternally grateful for Jean’s dedication and commitment to An Orphan’s Dream and she will be missed, especially by Linda. Please remember the family in prayers and encouragement at this time, as we commend Jean’s soul to Rest In eternal Peace.

Full obituary and funeral arrangements >

Make a donation to the Jean Conners Memorial Fund >

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Back to school!

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Back to school!

The children have gone back to school and will be studying hard for another successful year!

College & University: Linda is in her 4th year of at Kenyatta University working towards a bachelor’s degree in education and Annastacia, Wincate and Risper are working towards a 2 year diploma at Rural Aid Kenya Institute in Nairobi. Wincate is studying nursing, Risper is studying business, and Annastacia is studying journalism.

High School: So many of our children have passed the Kenyan schooling exam and are thriving in high school. Congratulations to Alex, Agnes, Horston, David, Mark, Kelvin, Ann, Benson, Euphraith, Abraham, Esther, Chrispin, and Purity for their continued hard work!

Primary School: The rest of our children are in primary school. They are supported by tutors at Oasis of Peace so that they can flourish in their academics.

Alumni: We are so happy when our children grow into well rounded adults with the ability to support themselves! Magdaline and Joyce were able to go to learn the trade of sewing and have gotten employment with a sewing shop.

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A welcome visit from our sponsors!

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A welcome visit from our sponsors!

We were so thrilled to welcome the Fonte family to Oasis of Peace this summer. The big smiles are a sign of the joyful experience. When the Fonte’s left, our hearts were full. We thank them for being part of the Oasis family and we look forward to the next visit!

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The 2023 Annual Fundraiser was a big success

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The 2023 Annual Fundraiser was a big success

It is always great to see old friends and make some new ones at an Orphan’s Dream annual fundraiser! We had many laughs, did a lot of dancing and raised money for a great cause. We were so happy that Gigi was able to join us and she lead us in the dancing! Thank you to all who came out! We appreciate you!

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We are so happy to welcome 6 new children to the Oasis of Peace!

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We are so happy to welcome 6 new children to the Oasis of Peace!

Please meet Caroline, Josephine, Joy, Maryanne, Patience, and Yvonne! They came to Oasis this June and we are so happy to welcome them. They love their new bedrooms and are happy to starting school. We hope that you, your friends, or your family could sponsor one of these amazing children or team up to sponsor one of them as a group.

Learn more about the children and how to sponsor them >

The girls get settled in their new pink or orange rooms with their grandmothers or aunts who were not able to feed and educate them due to advanced age or poverty. They continue to have relationships with kin visiting them on their breaks from school. Strong bonds to surviving family is very important to us.

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