Happy news for our very HAPPY family!

Mama here today. All good news from The Lovely Papa and myself .

 I had an appointment with Dr Danwata my oncologist, who requested I had a mammogram and bone density scan, as the one-a-day tablets I have to take for the next five years can damage bones. 

Both were good results. Which in itself was such a relief and yes a surprise! 

We have been worried about my bones. I have had 11 breaks in the past four years, a bit over the top..... even for me! 

 Broken heel in July 2009,arm broken in three places and a hip in July 2010. A hip replacement replaced in July 2013, and now this leg broken in five places. 

We know I have osteoporosis and assumed with this latest severe break that my bones must be deteriorating . So to be told that there has been no loss of density since the last scan six years ago was a great relief.

I saw my wonderful orthopaedic consultant, Steve Mannion,  on Wednesday and he is very happy with the way the plate in the leg is healing and bone growing! So all good.

 Now, you've guessed it, we go home to our beautiful family on the October 20... two week's today!

 The children and staff are all coming to meet us at Mombasa airport. We just love it. It’s all laughter and tears.

 As we come through the arrival doors I shout Happy House Kids and there is a rush of happy smiling faces, mine is the one with the tears!

 Everyone has something to tell or show Mama and Papa. There is lots of singing, drums and tambourines resound through the airport. 

We blocked the area  last time, where people were trying to pass, so the security man came saying to the children, come on come on now, go back behind the barrier. Oscar, six at the time, looked up and said to the man, ‘But My Mama has come home’

 We speak to the children on Skype every week.They are planning  party for us. Margaret told us there is going to be a dance competition between Mama & Papa.

I must remember to learn how to spin my walking stick ! 

Papa said, ‘Margaret you know I am the best dancer and will win’. She looked directly at him and said in no uncertain terms, ‘Mama WILL win’  

Oh yes GIRL POWER !!

 Musyoka came on Skype to say, Mama we are learning a special song for you. Well there was such an uproar, he looked over his shoulder at 86 kidz telling him to shut up! He definitely panicked. 

He looked back at the screen saying, no Mama we are not learning a song !

Dave asked what we will be having to eat at the party, Musyoka trying to recover said ‘I don’t know’. Dave asked,’ Will Mama be having a cake for her birthday?’’ I don’t know’ he replied as he took another cautious glance over his shoulder at the family, to make sure he was safe!

 Our family is the same as all families, just a bit bigger than most.

 We have a busy time until be fly home and are already well ahead with our packing..  On October 16  it is my birthday, so pleased to get to another one!!  We are having open house at our apartment in Poulton Le Fylde in the afternoon for cake and a cuppa for anyone who wants to call in. 

 On October 18, we are have a Dr Danwata Scholarship Scheme awareness event.at the Marriot Hotel in Preston from 4-6 pm. It is a free event with refreshments. 

If you are free and want to know more about our children and definitely the Scholarship Scheme that is giving the gift of an education to 20 children. We desperately need sponsors for these children and also so we can extend the scheme for more children to be able to walk the road out of poverty through education.

 If you require any information regarding sponsoring one of the Happy House Kidz or our Scholarship children please do not hesitate to contact me, Mama Sue, sue@childrenofwatamu.net or Elizabeth, our Voluntary UK coordinator, elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net

Thank you to everyone who has supported us during our time here, it was greatly needed and truly appreciated.

 Love & best wishes,

 Mama Sue Papa Dave & The Happy House Family xxx

 We do need numbers for the Dr Danwata event  so please, if you are coming,  let us know and drop me, or Elizabeth, an email if you plan to pop in on my birthday and would like my address in Poulton.

Our babies - by Jedida

Jedida

Jedida is our junior blogger this week and her story is about the smaller members of our family who are in playgroup and baby class:

The Happy House babies have been having  good time. They have been playing so many games.

The babies have been playing games and have been enjoying so much. 

The babies comb their hair and dress in their school clothes,

The Happy House babies have been dancing and singing 

They love the activities.

The frock that rocks!

2010

We are so grateful to everyone who is sending parcels of lovely clothes for our children for Christmas.

We can now be hopeful that Santa will be able to deliver a new outfit to every one of our 87 kids.

And we can promise the clothing you send will be well worn.

At first, be kept for best. Safari means "trip" in Kswahili, so the children call their best things their "safari" clothes and they are kept for special occasions, outings and church.

When they are outgrown they will be handed down and eventually be relegated to everyday or playing out clothes until such a time they simply cannot stand another wash and wear.

This little red and white spotted dress (it would be lovely to know who donated it)  is an example. It has been in use for more than four years.

2014

It was in the very first shipment sent out to the Happy House ready for the opening in  2010 when it was worn by Mwende, one of our very first children.

Such a pretty dress it was a vibrant red and fresh white when this picture was taken by Auntie Libby at our opening celebrations on March 17 2010,.

It's been in constant use ever since and the hot sun, and so many washes, have faded the colour to pale pink as you can see from the picture taken earlier this week.

Thank you to whoever sent it all those years ago, we have certainly made sure that it was value for money!

*If you would like to send a parcel for Christmas  you will find out what we need most and where to send it to via this link http://childrenofwchildrenofwatamu.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/christmas-parcel-appeal.html

Marathon milestones

Huge congratulations to Gemma Lockyer for completing the Berlin Marathon on Sunday.
It was Gemma's second marathon which she completed in five hours and five minutes and she was still smiling at the end as this picture with her dad, Paul, at the finishing line shows.

Thank you Gemma for making this huge effort to raise funds for our family, every penny will be well spent to help make life brighter for the 87 children in our family,
And thank you to everyone who supported her effort.
Just for the record,  Kenyan Dennis Kimetto clocked a world record 2 hours, 2 minutes, 57 seconds, to win the marathon becoming the third Kenyan to break the 26.2-mile mark in the German capital in the last four years.
"I think what really motivates me to be a fighter is the fact that I come from a humble background," Kimetto says. "I try to really make sure that I achieve my best so that I can assist my family." 
What a great role model for the kids in our own Happy House family!

Our Karembo in action

Auntie Dawn comes to visit

Welcome back to our great friend Dawn Heather White who has come to visit from her home in Bangor, Northern Ireland.
Dawn Heather has visited and volunteered many times before and never comes empty handed!
Knowing just how much we need clothing and other things for the family she brought two suitcases full of of lovely things, with  some treats for her  her special friends Katana and Fikiri and also for twin Pendo Dickson, from her sister Emma McKervey who is in her sponsor family.
Dawn Heather, who has a very busy job, has come for a relaxing holiday but we know that she will pop in often to see our family.
It is so nice to see you again, Dawn Heather.  We have missed you. Thank you for bringing so much for our children.

School Report: Art and dance bring delight

Art and culture has been on the timetable for some of the younger members of our school community this week, as teacher, Madam Hellen reports:

Volunteers bring us so many different talents and this week KG3 has been learning some traditional Indian dance.

Our volunteer Neelam Kanda, originally fro India but who has been living in London, is spending three months volunteering at Happy House and she is teaching the children a dance they will perform at our next school closing ceremony which will mark the end of this term and the end of the Kenyan school year. Art lessons have been fun with Baby Class doing painting with Madam Getry and Auntie Neema. 
 Class KG 3 have been experimenting with mixing primary colours to make secondary colours which some cheerful results.
Addresses please:
Another reminder, just in case you didn't see our earlier blog, We are in the process of updating  our records and it is clear that some of  the lovely friends who sponsor our children may have changed their postal address or email since they took out their sponsorship.
Please, if your details have changed in anyway please send your name, address (including post code) and email address to rosep@childrenofwatamu.net
Thank you.

Now we are three ...

Family reunited. The two little sisters who came to our family last week have now been joined by their older brother Derrick.

Jacinta, seven, Florence, six,  and Derrick,14  were living with their grandmother, who was trying to bring up six grandchildren on her own in her run down home made of mud and wattle.

The two little girls were deemed to be vulnerable and in need of care, and were brought to Happy House, while their brother Derrick, already in our school as one of our Dr Danwata Scholarship students, remained with his grandmother and cousins.

But Mama has never been happy about splitting families, and asked Derrick if he would like to come to Happy House as a

member of our family - making life easier for his grandmother at the same time.

Mama, who talked to Derrick via Skype, said: "He didn't need so much as a minute to think about it. It was a  "Yes" straight away.

"I never like the thought of splitting families and he should be at home with his sisters. "When we brought them home, Derrick went to Uncle Billy's office to ask him to say thank you to Mama."

The three children, whose father vanished after post-election troubles in  2008/09 and whose mother left them with their grandmother to go to Nairobi four years ago and hasn't been seen or heard of since, now have a chance to grow up together in the loving and stable environment of our Happy House, while their grandmother, relieved of some of her burden of responsibility, can to visit when she can.