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.