Our story on film

A moving documentary which brings the incredibly important work of the Happy House to life is now posted on our website.

In it our inspiration, Mama Sue talks about how her children's home is saving young lives and giving children ,born into terrible circumstances, a secure and loving home and a future to look forward to.

Also featured on the film made by a Nairobi recording crew, Innocent and Justice,  are Papa Dave; bursar Isaac Sunita Yaa; social worker Billy Mungo; head teacher Madam Rose;  teacher Mr Athmani and volunteers and sponsors Lynn McCluskey and Coral Blackhurst, trustee and voluntary UK coordinator Elizabeth Gomm , Italian supporter Maurizio.

And in the star role are, of course,  our Happy House kids!

The recording was filmed on a very special party day to celebrate the marriage of Happy House administrator Rose - we're not usually dressed in our Sunday best, with cloths on the tables and barbecued food.

You'll find this link to this 30-minute film on the home page of our website

Please share it with your friends and help to take our message of hope to a wider audience.   

   http://www.childrenofwatamu.net/sponsored-child-scheme/can-you-help

Snowtime walk in Hindlip

There was snow on the ground when the  94 pupils from the tiny Hindlip CE School, near Worcester, pulled on their bobble hats, zipped up  their anoraks and put best boot first to stride out on a two mile sponsored walk for our Happy House family.

What a contrast to the wall-to-wall sunshine our children wake up to every day - it is hard for them even to imagine what it is like to be cold!

But the intrepid children,staff, parents and carers in Worcestershire were not going to let a bit of snow put them off their mission to do their best for the Happy House which  they had heard all about from reception teacher Rebecca Mirza.

Everyone had a splendid time trampling across the frosty fields in a winter wonderland and they raised a wonderful £427.50 for our family.

Thank you everyone at Hindlip school, we think you are just great!

A sparkling success

A sparkling masquerade ball, kindly organised by Christina Young, raised in the region of £4,500 for our Happy House family.

The black-tie ball held at Selsdon Park Hotel Golf club, Croydon, had all the ingredients for a successful night with good food, great entertainment, fabulous prizes and generous guests.

"The room looked fab and everyone had entered into the spirit of the evening with their masks, " said Christina (pictured with her singer son, Rob, who entertained during the evening).

"A big thank you to Brendan for the great production and disco, and to everyone who supported the evening," added Christina, who is in baby David's sponsor family. Several  of Christina's guests pleged to join our sponsor family.

And a massive thank you to you Christina from Mama Sue, Papa Dave and all the family for all the hard work and effort you put in to ensuring a successful night, and also to all those who supported her in any way.

*Other pictures show Happy House volunteer Lynn McCluskey (right) with new sponsor Dee Pattni; Lynda Mangoro (who is in Suleiman's sponsor family), her husband Mike and Darryl Cole (who sponsor Mercy) and star guest Rod Stewart, also known as Christina's husband, Doug!

 

Time to chill

The half-term holiday has given the kids a chance to chill out and relax.

While the older ones have been getting active,  rehearsing an aerobics routine for a celebration to mark the second anniversary next month, the younger ones just snuggled up for the occasional catnap!

Moving upwards and onwards

As our family at the Happy House, under the ever-caring wings of Mama Sue and Papa Dave, grows in size and number, we have to grow with it.

The children are happy and healthy and, after terrible start, ready to run with life. The Happy House School is giving them every opportunity to learn and those of us who are sponsors will know from "our" children's recent exam results that they are learning and excelling.

It's vital that we get the primary school built so that we have permanent classes ready for the children to move into. 

Funding major projects is clearly an issue, but we have to forge ahead with the build, raising additional funds however we can. 

Mama Sue from Kenya, and Elizabeth in the UK are constantly trying to attract financial support from all sectors, businesses, trusts and charitable organisations.

Donors can be sure that Mama Sue will spend every penny donated with extreme care. Nothing is ever wasted. She's innovative and inventive, finding the best ways to stretch resources to their limit. She sees ways of adapting the building we already have, using it to it best and most cost-effective advantage, that even professional builders don't see!

Thanks to a generous donation we are able to start the primary school. It will be built on the section of our flat roofed building which has always been earmarked for development. It will make it a self-contained unit accessed by modifying a current internal staircase to give it an external entrance.

By making a few changes to existing plumbing enough toilets can be installed to cater for the school.

Like Little Chicks Nursery there will be a traditional makuti "thatched" roof, cool and cheaper... it also supports local men and women who depend on making makuti for food for their families.

Mama Sue has thought of everything and we all know that when she has a vision it becomes a reality!

Before a block is laid, she is making sure that all the materials needed are on site to ensure there can be no delays once she gives the builder the go-ahead to start.

As their Mama, Sue wants every one of her children to be the best that he or she can be. Equally, we have to keep the cash coming in so that we can continue to develop their home and school, our Happy House, to be the best that it can be.

Having a ball

Lots of love and luck to Christina Young, a member of baby David's sponsor family, who is staging a luxurious masked ball in London tomorrow to raise money for our family.

Christina has put so much hard work and effort into arranging the event at Selsdon Park Hotel and Golf Club, Croydon, and we just want her to know how much it means to Mama Sue, Papa Dave and all our family.

Thank you Christina. Have a lovely evening!

Seeds from the States - thank you Kempsville!

At home in Virginia, USA, Mike Applebee searched the internet for charities who could use surplus vegetable seeds ... he found our Happy House.

Mike and his wife Kathleen are members of Kempsville Church of Christ in Virginia Beach and their friends from the adult Sunday morning Bible Class, and other church friends,  got together to pool their excess seeds sending a whole variety to our family including pumpkin, radish, butternut squash, acorn squash, tomato, cantaloupe, lemon and gala apple. 

Kathleen told us: "I'm happy to hear that one of the goals of the Happy House is self-sufficiency. After working in the social services  field, it's refreshing to hear that being a goal of a non-profit organisation.

"I am hoping and praying that our church will do more to help the Happy House in the future."

Kathleen and Mike were also delighted to hear about our Young Farmers' Club where our kids are learning how to grow their own ... a valuable skill in any country, but particularly on a continent where so many are starving. 

Kathleen teaches in an alternative school in Suffolk where she and Mike have introduced gardening to their own pupils.

"We grow seeds into plants, veggies as well as flowers. My kids are urban and disconnected from growing things. One was not going to try the radishes because they had been in the dirt. When I told him the carrots he eats at lunch came out of the dirt he made a shocked and disgusted face and wasn't inclined to believe me!" 

Kathleen and Michael's church is involved in helping orphans in the Ukraine, and its  annual Mission trip has visited Columbia and an Indian Reservation in Washington.

Kathleen said: "You are doing a wonderful thing for the "least of these". We plan to keep sending seeds and to be in touch from time to time. Who knows, maybe one year our mission group may visit you!"

We hope you do Kathleen and Micheal - you would find a very warm welcome.

Thank you  from all our family to you and to your friends who have so very kindly sent seeds for us to plant in our garden.

* Pictured are: Bill and Linda Dowdie with Mike and Kathy Applebee; second picture: Ryan and Shanda Feber

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