Wednesday 30 September 2015

School Report: Action kids and Harvest backs appeal

Our kindergarten kids are bouncing with health and energy.
They thoroughly enjoy school PE times.
For their most recent PE they were put into groups with some playing football, while others enjoyed a singing game with Madam Neema.
Another group went to play in the sand on our school "beach".
Later Madam Getry's babyclass had a creative lesson writing a pattern for the "b" sound.
Madam Getry was delighted with the children's work, especially that of Jeremiah and James (pictured).

Building a Bright Future

Many, Many thanks to our friends at Blackpool's Grange Park Open Door Project for backing our secondary school building appeal at their recent Harvest gathering.
They have sent a cheque for £239 which is the proceeds from the harvest plus £50 from their funds.
They had a raffle and tombola, cake stall and children's activities including apple bobbing, splat the rat, colouring and word games.
A ploughman's lunch of bread, cheese and pickles followed by apple pie and ice cream was served. 
Open Door, who are in our elder
 Rose's sponsor family, are hugely supportive of our work.
 You can help to ensure that we put and keep more children on the road out of poverty in our secondary school which we aim to open in January 2016, ready for the start of the new academic year.
Building work is progressing well, but we must keep the funds coming in.
Please can you hold an event,  have a collection at work or make a personal donation?
If you need any leaflets to support your effort please contact Elizabeth Gomm elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net


Tuesday 29 September 2015

Best room awards with video

When our older youngsters moved into lovely bedrooms upstairs they were given the responsibility of looking after their own space.

They have their own Auntie, Auntie Gloria, who keeps an eye on things,  looks after the laundry, with the kids' help, and is someone on had to go to if there is a problem.
But as with any family, not everything goes to plan. Wet towels left around, laundry not collected, untidy lockers all the usual things every parent of pre-teens and teenagers will be familiar with.
So to keep everyone on their toes and tidy, Mama has put in place the Best Room Awards - with a trophy and reward each month for the winning boys' and winning girls' room.
Mama meets upstairs kids
Together, with assistant social worker Uncle Ronald, they have set up a clear criteria with a check list so that everyone can be monitored on a daily basis.
Central to this is are the daily dairies filled in by each room captain and also by Auntie Gloria.
The room captains, elected by the children sharing a room, write a short report each morning naming any child who has slipped up and the reason why.
Mama, Uncle Ronald and Auntie Gloria meet each morning to discuss the diaries and decide on any action needed, with Mama and Uncle Ronald talking to those children who need a bit of extra encouragement and their room captain later in the day.
It's a scheme that's working. For the initial month, while the kids were getting used to it, there were no winning rooms but every child (22 in all ) with a completely clean sheet for the month, was taken out for pizza and chips, hosted by Marina bar, on Saturday.
And when they got back home there was ice-cream for all the family to enjoy  (right) thanks to the very kind Andreas from the Italian bakery.
Now the room awards are in the second month, with competition hotting up to be the Rooms of the Month.
Good luck and tidy living kids!




Please can you help?
We must  build our secondary school to ensure the children living in our care at the Happy House Children's Home and for others in the local community, to ensure that they receive the very best education right through to school leaving,
We must have it finished, furnished, resourced and staffed by January, 2016, ready for its first students. 
Every penny donated will help to make this happen. 
£20 will buy materials for our joiner, Charo,  to make a desk, £15 will buy the materials for a chair
If you would like to make a difference to children's lives for many years to come, please donate at:
 http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Monday 28 September 2015

Home side takes a tumble!

Everyone who knows Papa Dave will know that his love for football comes second only to his love for Mama.
And a Yorkshire man through and through, his top team is Leeds United. In fact, in Watamu he is known as "Mr Leeds United".
At Happy House he has placed a sign on a palm tree, reserving the parking space for" Leeds fan only!"
Watching a football game isn't much fun when you are on your own so as the Leeds v Middlesborough game yesterday was being televised, Papa invited six of our Happy House boys, some of the most ardent football fans, home to watch the match.
Evans, Sifa, Baraka, Derrick, Dennis and Hassan enjoyed a swim before the match, followed by crisps and soda.
They settled down to watch the match, breaking at half time for a lunch of chilli and rice served up by Mama and Papa.
Sadly for Papa, Leeds lost 3-1 and he did get a bit of a ribbing!
Mama said: "Papa has taught the boys not to be too serious about a game and to respect the views and teams of others. 
"They did have a good laugh with Papa.
"As I am writing this the home team is in the kitchen washing up!"

£20 will buy a desk

We must  build our secondary school to ensure the children living in our care at the Happy House Children's Home and for others in the local community, to ensure that they receive the very best education right through to school leaving,
We must have it finished, furnished, resourced and staffed by January, 2016, ready for its first students. 
Every penny donated will help to make this happen. 
£20 will buy materials for our joiner, Charo,  to make a desk, £15 will buy the materials for a chair
If you would like to make a difference to children's lives for many years to come, please donate at:
 http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Sunday 27 September 2015

Clean sweep of the beach by Evans

The Happy House is very much a part of the community and that includes taking part in local events including International Coastal Clean Up Days which take place several times a year.
Keeping the beautiful beaches clean is vital for the ecology of the area and our young people are happy to be a part of it as Evans writes in today's blog:
" I am happy to write this blog about a trip to the beach.
 We were lucky to be welcomed for a beach cleaning at Turtle Bay beach. 
Everybody was looking forward to go the cleaning but unfortunately only 9 people could be chosen to go. 
We were eagerly waiting for the time to move fast so that we could set off and finally it came.
We were told by our sports teacher to dress in the Happy House sports T-shirt and as fast as deer we did that. 
The neck-breaking speed took us less than five minutes and we were ready for trip. Everybody was sparkling.
By 9am, we set off for the journey, everyone happy as a king
It took 15 minutes  and we had reached at the beach. No sooner did we arrive than we were grouped and we started working.
Sifa, Hassan and Evans with sodas
We put the rubbish into sacks and when a sack was full, you were allowed to rest.
We filled around nine sacks. The organisers were very happy for the brilliant job.
After the cleaning, they took us to the Turtle Bay Hotel for a soda. Joy melted our hearts like butter exposed to heat.
When we came back home everybody was exhausted."

Please can you help?

It is for young people like Evans and all our Happy House kids that we need to build our secondary school to ensure that they receive the very best education right through to school leaving,
We must have it finished, furnished, resourced and staffed by January, 2016, ready for its first students. 
Every penny donated will help to make this happen. If you would like to make a donation at http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Saturday 26 September 2015

Thank you for the love you bring me - by Auntie Libby

I was walking an emotional tightrope on Tuesday, my last day at the Happy House.
Sad to be leaving, I was determined to keep busy, keep smiling and to soak up every last second.
Mama and I had decided on mango as my treat for everyone at Kidz Club at the end of the day, and I was looking forward to the display of belly dancing by our girls she had asked Jane to organise  for as a surprise for Auntie Dawn Heather who brought them an instructional dvd and coin belts on her last visit.
I had no idea that Mama, Papa and the kids had much, much,  more in the way of surprises store.
No sooner had we gathered than Jane announced that this was a party - and I was the guest of honour!
Party organisers Jane and Hassan had a whole programme of activities planned, starting with a dancing display, a tasty mango treat, followed our wonderful belly dancers, then a cake arrived, huge and delicious,  baked by Auntie Phyllis. How she managed to make it and decorate it without me getting so much a sniff of it, I don't know!
Auntie Dawn presented baby  Ludwin with a gift for her first birthday and I did the honours for birthday girl Khadija Unda.
Mama then pulled another gift out of the bag.  A trophy, specially for ME.
Hand-carved, in top secret, by our joiner Charo it carries a heart, the Happy House logo and the wonderful words "We love you Antie Libz".
How blessed am I to be so loved by such a special family, by so many little people.
It is love I carry in my heart every minute of every day.
Mama said some lovely words about the way I work to raise money and friends for Happy House in the UK and how the appeal I set up for the secondary school build (http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture )is doing so well that our secondary school build is now back on.
I do work hard, but it's never a chore.  I am lucky to have it to do.
How could I respond? I could hardly speak, accept to say how much I loved them and would miss them.
Star awards for party planners Jane and Hassan
The tidal wave of love just kept rolling in,  submerging me in  evermore warmth. All the family joined together to sing our traditional farewell song ( and YES I promise "I won't forget this home", how could I?),  a small group followed with "I will always love you" and then our teachers had their own "Bye, Bye" song.
All through,my tears were flowing. 
I am back in Blackpool now, my trophy - my personal monument of love - has pride of place in my home, and I am here trying to capture in words the essence of the best party I have ever had.
I am missing Mama, Papa, Uncle Billy, Auntie Velma, Uncle Ronnie and all our kids and everyone in the family.
I will never be able to thank you enough for all you bring to me.
Mama and I usually share secrets, not this one.
She told me: "We wanted you to go home feeling loved Libz. Because you are."
There can be nothing better.

Friday 25 September 2015

Charity clairvoyance raises £1,300

 An uplifting and entertaining evening of clairvoyance at Kidderminster's Rose Theatre is helping Happy House to Build a  Brighter Future.
The event, which has raised more than £1,300 to date for our secondary school build was arranged by Auntie Libby's sister Sarah Johnson and friends.
An audience of more than 90 people for the charity night featuring mediums Sarah Johnson and Nuala Ryan-Long. 
Chris Barratt said : " MC David  Duffey-Herbert opened the evening welcoming everyone, explaining what the evening was all about and thanking them for coming along in support of the Happy House.
David Tony and Chris with Nuala and Sarah.
"I followed explaining to everyone  how the Happy House came about, and Sue's dream becoming a reality when it opened in 2010 bringing them up to the present and telling them how many children Happy House looks after, and the wonderful work bring done there. You could feel the empathy in the theatre, and the applause received was very touching.
David then introduced  Sarah and Nuala.
Sarah did the first part of the evening with myself and Sue Ray taking microphones to the audience.
During the interval Florence Haste and Tanya Nicholls continued where there had left off when people were arriving, by selling even more raffle tickets, they were brilliant.
When everyone came back to their seats David introduced Nuala and she continued with the second half of the evening's clairvoyance.I have to say the audience interaction with both Sarah and Nuala was amazing, a mix of gentle humour, laughter and emotion, they were wonderful, bless them.Tony was on his feet all night, diligently zooming  in and out and panning the camera so the audience could see what was going on when Nuala or Sarah were with people in the back half of the auditorium.

David expertly brought the evening to a close, and Sarah concluded by expanding on the future plans for the  secondary
 school and how the money raised that evening would help to bring them to fruition.''

Thank you Sarah and Nuala, to their fantastic friends, and to everyone who went along to support the evening.
If you would like like to help us to make a difference to the lives of young people eager to gain a secondary school education by making a donation to our secondary school appeal please go to: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Thursday 24 September 2015

Saying goodbye is so hard

Each time I come to Happy House, it gets harder to leave.
But one thing is certain, love will lead me back, writes Elizabeth Gomm.
This is my second family, I am their Auntie Libby and it is my great joy to be able to watch our children growing up and to be a part of their lives.
Mama Sue and Papa Dave are my dearest friends. Mama and I think alike (often thinking the same thing at the same time), whilst also knowing and respecting each other’s unique strengths.  I say it myself, confident she will agree, that we make a good team.
In almost five weeks here, I have again seen how hard Mama works and how much has been achieved since my last visit.
Our lower schools have been built on a site just a short walk from Happy House, and how beautiful they, and the secondary school is build is on the way. We are hopeful that we will finish it by our January deadline and have raised the money to furnish and resource it and to pay teachers for the first year.
Our older kids have beautiful new bedrooms upstairs, with more privacy and more responsibilities which they take on gladly.
I have had time to get to know the children who have come to us since I was last here, each one a life that will be changed forever by being a Happy House kid. And how lovely it has been to get to cuddle our Elizabeth Anne, the beautiful child Mama has given the my name and that of my late sister, Anne.  
I have shared some lovely, special, moments with some of those I have known, in their timeline, forever – Harry, David, Brian, and Esther.
Since coming to us as newborns, they have grown into beautiful children, our first four little Haywards.  Harry has a stubborn streak and loves to be tickled, Brian is talkative and likes to dance, Esther is a catwalk queen, full of energy and fun.  I remember just how hard it was to get her walking, how much work was put into helping get her on her feet, now she never stops running!
David will always be one on his own. Down Syndrome, or whatever his special need, he is coming on in leaps and bounds. He has walked home from school with me most days, running and joining in with the all the boyish antics of his brothers. 
He is trying so hard to talk and some words are really clear – Mama Sue, Papa Dave, Uncle Billy and even Auntie Libby.  At songtime he does his best to sing, in la-las, but he knows all the actions to every song.
These little foundlings, who are lucky to have survived the first days of life, personify the magic of our Happy House.
Where would they have been without Mama’s vision, dedication and determination?
Raising a family of 108 is far from easy. Each one is an individual who has endured much, some of the older ones come with heavy baggage of sorrow, pain or hunger, Mama Sue, Papa Dave, our wonderful social worker Uncle Billy and his assistant Uncle Ronnie turn these lives around. With some children it is a much slower process than it is for others.
Mama loves her children, unconditionally.  She is has always told them that her Happy House runs on love, that no one will ever be beaten (as so many kids in this country are).  Mama has a policy of positive discipline. The children know that good behaviour will bring its own rewards.
They have routine, respect, responsibility, consistency and endless love.
Working in Kenya  is not easy, things are done differently here and routine matters are often protracted and difficult.
Papa Dave is a one-off, a constant source of encouragement and love to Mama, he is always on the go and plays a very important role in sourcing materials, tradesmen etc – always at the best price.
The love he and Mama have for each other has seen them through both good times and bad. They are an inspiration to the whole family, and adored by the children.
I am so proud to have them as my friends, to be a part of Happy House life and to be so loved.
Mama and I believe that we were brought together for a reason.
These children and our Happy House are that reason.
As I leave Kenya to return to the UK, it will be with an inevitable sadness, but also with a renewed sense of purpose as I strive to find more and new ways of  making new friends and raising the vital funds we need to maintain and develop this wonderful family.
Despite my aching heart, I will look on the bright side, go ahead with optimism and think of the words of every child’s favourite bear, Winnie the Pooh
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard!”

Wednesday 23 September 2015

Welcome our visitors and volunteers

There have been many welcomes this week at Happy House.
Daniela Bonassi, who is in Peninah's sponsor family, arrived back to visit with her own Mama Anna.
They arrived, with Susann Gregorio, bringing with them   cases of clothing and towels donated by their friends plus a wonderful donation raised by Daniela and her friend Laura Astori of 1000KES, aproximately £625 again generously given by their friends in Italy.
Coral and Mariam
This will go towards our building our secondary school where , one day, Peninah, now in kindergarten, will be a student.

Dawn and Esther
They arrived, with Susanna Gregorio, bringing with them   cases of clothing and towels donated by their friends.
Daniela is pictured with Mama Sue, with her own mother Anna and Susanna, and with Peninah.  Said, wrapped up in one of the towels brought by Daniela, is with Mama.
Also back is Dawn Heather White, from Northern Ireland, who is a regular visitor and Auntie Dawn to our kids. She is in Katana's sponsor family.
Auntie Dawn also brought bags of goodies for our children, lots of clothes, copy-crocs and other things that will go towards the children's Christmas bags.
Like so many of our kind friends, she can't resist a bargain she knows that any size will fit someone in our family.
Coral Blackhurst, who has volunteered in school on many occasions, has come back to help again. She is in Mariam's, sponsor family and was happy to see how much she has grown.
Eva helping David with revision
From Switzerland, Eva Huguenin Elie has arrived to volunteer with our family for several months.
She is settling in and finding her way around, but we know she will soon feel at home and a part of the family.
Eva's father Jean-Christophe held a fundraiser for our school build and kindly raised a wonderful 2000 CHF (approx £1,333). 
We are always pleased to welcome friends, old and new, and would also like to thank their families and friends for supporting our work with donations of good and money.
With help like this we know that our Happy House Secondary School, now under construction, has every chance of being finished and ready to open by January.
We still have more money to raise, but we are well on the way.
If you would like to make a donation please go to: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

School's back in

A primary classroom yesterday
Our primary children are back to school today after private primary and secondary schools got a reprieve when a Nairobi judge suspended a government directive closing all schools countrywide.
Officials of the Kenya Private Schools Association  sued the government to challenge the directive issued on Friday through a circular by Education Cabinet Secretary.
After two days at home, where we put a programme of activities in place, our kids were eager to be back in class.
On Monday and Tuesday, the classrooms were locked and the primary school silent. The directive had been issued by the Government, who are in dispute with teachers in Government schools who have been on strike since the start of the month because of the Government's refusal to implement a 50-60% pay rise issued by the industrial court and upheld by Kenya Supreme Court after arbitration failed.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Teachers' strike a blow

 A national strike  by teachers working in Government schools has brought all schooling in Kenya to a halt as, from yesterday, the Government enforced the closure of all private primary and secondary schools too.
Only top year students, due to sit their national examinations in November, are allowed to continue in school.
For Happy House this is a huge blow. Our pre-school and kindergarten children continue normally, but pupils in seven primary classes remain at home.
The strike is over a 50-60% pay rise awarded to Government school teachers by the industrial court.  
Following attempted arbitration, Kenya's Supreme Court ruled that the government should abide by a lower court's decision to give teachers a pay rise of at least 50%.
The teachers' pay body had argued that it cannot afford the increase. 
Teachers stopped work just days into the start of  this term, leaving millions of kids out of school.
Now the teachers v Government stand-off has spilled over into the private sector which will cause immense difficulties for schools including our own - a not-for-profit school which depends on the income from fees for day pupils to help sustain the school.
Private schools are being urged to ignore the Government directive but Mama is erring on the side of caution waiting to see how other private schools in the local area react.
The private sector is furious that the Government should pull them into the dispute and has criticised the nation's leaders for taking this action instead of trying to send a solution with the unions.
At Happy House we have a programme of activities in place to keep our children busy and occupied whilst waiting to see how the land lies.
 Day pupils for the time being, remain at home.

Building a Bright Future Appeal

Our Building a Bright Future Appeal has now passed the £10,000 mark, taking is well on the way to finishing our secondary school build - but we still have another £15,000 to raise. This will ensure that we can not only finish the build but also furnish, resource and, importantly, pay teachers for the first year while we establish the school and look funding to sustain it.
Mama's ultimate dream is to create a school that is solely for our Happy House kids plus children from the local community whose dire family circumstances mean they are not accessing any schooling at all.
Our friends are amazing and we thank each and everyone of you who has helped bring us this far already.
If you would like to help us to Build a Bright Future please make a donation at  http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture - £20 will but a desk or £15 a chair.
 Every penny really does count!

Monday 21 September 2015

Papa's Saturday kitchen

 Super chef Papa Dave took charge in the kitchen on Saturday.
Papa and his team of enthusiastic kids were tasked with cooking luch for our family of 130 children - that all our own kids living at Happy House plus our scholarship students who come in to join in the Saturday activities,
Chicken curry was Papa's choice. Everyone loves their kuku (chicken), but curry is not something they would normally have.
Mama had roasted the chickens on Friday, something totally new to Auntie Phyllis and Auntie Esther. They would traditionally boil chicken, but were delighted with the look and flavour of  roast meant.
Once cooked the chicken were kept cold until needed, when the chicken was taken off the bone ready to be added to the curry - again a different for our cooks who would add it on the bone.
The kids prepped up a mountain of vegetables, Auntie Esther and Mercy got the onions and garlic started in  a surfuria in the outside oven, while Papa and his team got the flavourings ready to add.
Papa explained everything as he went a long in his step-by-step guide to make a simple Indian curry.
By lunchtime, the curry and rice was ready for our hungry kids and the hot and tasty treat went down a treat!

Building a Bright Future

We will keep working on our secondary school
build for as long as we can afford to, and in the hope that more money will flow into our Building a Bright Future Appeal to get us to the finish without any more delays. With a January deadline for opening, and kids who need our school depending on us, we must do it. Thank you to everyone who has donated, who is fundraising or helping in an other way. You are just amazing.

If you would like to make a donation and help to give young people an education to put them on the road to a bright future please go to:
http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Sunday 20 September 2015

Back to school by Hassan

It was on a Monday when we were preparing ourselves to go to school for the start of term three.
I was happy to be going to school and learning new things .
Everyone was clean. The teachers were clean too and happy to see us. 
The head teacher was pleased to see people clean and happy.
Auntie Libby was suprised to see a big school like our school,
Mama Sue told Auntie Libby that the pupils are hard working in their classes.
At 3:10 we are having games,debate spelling, guidance and counselling and all the pupils loved the  activities.
Our school head teacher told us that we should be bright in classes, we all love our head teacher

Building a Bright Future

As part of our  Building a Bright Future Appeal to finish. furnish, resource and staff our secondary school by January,  need to meet the cost of desks and chairs for our students. 
They will be hand built at Happy house by our joiner Charo with materials for each desk costing £20 and fpr a chair £15.
If you would liek to help by donating the cost of a desk or chair please go to: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Saturday 19 September 2015

£20 will buy a desk

 Every desk and every chair for  the secondary school we are building will be made at the Happy House by our joiner Charo.
He has just completed a sample desk for Mama Sue to see, and the ultimate craftsman, Charo has made sure it is built to last.
Made from cedar and cypress, each desk will have a lift up lid with room for students to store their books, pencils etc.
Our social worker Uncle Billy was the first to try the desk for size, transporting him right back to his own school days!
Charo
Charo will start making the desks as and when funds allow. The will also make all the  chairs, cupboards, benches, shelves with funds coming in to our Building a Bright Future Appeal and materials will cost £20 each.
We will need a total of  120 desks and 120 chairs to ensure that each student will have their own.
A chair will  cost £15.
We know that some of you like to know your money is buying a specific item, so if you would like  to buy a desk £20, a chair £15 or a desk and chair £35, please go to to: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture to donate.

Friday 18 September 2015

Baby days

It’s quiet at the Happy House on school days.
All the older children have gone out to our school a short walk down the lane and there are just four little ones left at home.
Almost-toddlers, Eve  and Ludwin spend their days in the baby banda with our tiniest members of our family, Elizabeth and Nicholas.
Elizabeth Anne
Eve, whose name is Farida but has been called Eve ever since her arrival on Christmas Eve, and Ludwin are kept busy with toys, singing and clapping games and being encouraged to crawl and walk by the Auntie on baby duty for the day.
She chats and plays with them, whilst keeping a watchful eye of Elizabeth Anne and Nicholas who do what babies do best – eat and sleep.
When the drop off the sleep they are transferred to the cool of a cot in our colourful baby room.
The room was refurbished earlier last year thanks to a kind donation from Michael and Sheila Dickinson, in memory of their son Richard who died as a baby many years ago.
He lives on in their hearts and now in our baby room which bears a plaque celebrating his life.
The baby room has colourful murals on every wall, painted by local artist Kamango who was commissioned to do the work.
In the afternoon when the younger children troop home from school, Eve, Ludwin and the babies join the down on our baby "beach" where Ludwin and Eve play with the other kids who also enjoy pushing Elizabeth and Nicholas in their prams and chatting away to them.
*Auntie Janet is pictured with Eve (left) and Ludwin and with Nicholas. 

Building a Bright Future

They might be tiny now, but one day in the future Eve, Ludwin,  Elizabeth and Nicholas will all be pupils at Happy House school where they will have the best education possible.
And it is for children now, and in the future, that we have built our school and that we are now building our secondary school which we must have finished by January ready for its first students.
Thanks to your donations, we are on the way but we do need to raise the finances to finish, furnish, resource and pay teachers (for the first year)  and every penny counts.
If you can help by supporting our Building a Bright Future Appeal please go to http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture





Thursday 17 September 2015

Welcome, benvenuto...

Now international government advisories against travel to Watamu have been lifted, visitors are, very slowly, trickling back to this beautiful resort.
While some hotels remain closed others have found ways of remaining open and  of making guests very welcome .
We love having visitors to Happy House. We can show them how both at home and in school we are changing children's lives.
We want them to see for themselves just how a children's home can be a real home for children, run on love.
And so it was our pleasure to welcome a group of Italian guests, staying at at local hotel, when they came to call with our friend Susanna Gregorio.  
Susanna showed them around school before bringing them to Happy  House where they had a great time joining in with Kidz Club, bringing some of their own songs to our kids.
They were delighted to meet Mama Sue, Pap Dave, Auntie Libby and our kids.
Our thanks to Enea Franco, Carla Bacci. Sara Giachino, Emanele Lupo, Lorzena Bellante, Beneante Ignazio and Maria Chiara Francone for coming to see us.
We hope you will carry memories from our Happy House in your hearts.

Wednesday 16 September 2015

An update from Mama Sue and school news

 Our secondary school build is moving apace now that we are edging ever closer to raising the £25,000 needed to finish, furnish, resource and, for the initial year, to pay the cost of teachers' wages.
Thanks to your efforts our Building a Bright Future Appeal is standing at more than £8,900, and every penny is going into keeping the build going for as long as we can to try to ensure we are ready to open in January..
In today's video Mama brings you her thanks and reveals her ultimate dream...
For now it is just dream, but once our secondary school is finished and open, may be our next challenge is to make Mama's dream come true.
We know from past experience, that all things are possible.
To support our Building a Bright Future Appeal please go to:http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture




Top class students

Wake-up exams done, results announced and analysed, our children have performed well and the mean score has shot up, writes Mr Isaac.
The best class in the upper school, Class Eight - bringing us great hopes for the success of our class eight students when they sit the national examination, the KCPE, in November which will lead them on to our secondary school in January.
In the lower school, Class One (bottom pic) were the winners.