Appeal gets flush, and kids go on "home" visits

Spending a penny is costing more than a penny in one Lancashire household.

Cody Leigh-Allen is raising money for Building a Bright Future Appeal with a collection pot on the family loo requesting a donation per flush!

Cody, a student at St Aidans CE Technology College, was inspired by a a development day at school when Elizabeth Gomm ran sessions for group of Year 8 pupils to raise awareness of our Happy House and it's work.

And thanks to Cody her grandparents, Jackie and Colin McLean, have joined our sponsor family, sponsoring Sanita, so that all their grandchildren can become involved.

Thank you Cody for being a young ambassador for Happy House and trying so hard to make life better for our children.

It's lovely to know you want to help them to have a wonderful school and education, just as you do.

Anyone can do their bit to to raise a few pounds for our appeal to raise the money we need to finish, furnish and open our school.

You could, like Cody, be flushed with pride.

To make a donation please go to: http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Family visits

It's quieter at the Happy House this week as many of the children are away visiting their family members.

This is a routine Mama and Uncle Billy have established during the school holidays as it is so important for children to keep in touch with their blood relatives where it is safe and possible to do so.

A grandma or auntie who may not be able to support their young relatives on a full-time basis will work hard to take them in the holidays for a short break.

Uncle Ronald, our assistant social worker says:  "The kids were really looking forward for it. 

It's a good practice for them as it re-unites them with their relatives and friends back home as well  as helping them in various daily activities.

We wish them safe journey and all the best in whatever they will do till we 
meet again."

My best friend - by Derrick

Derrick

Hassan

Derrick takes over the blog today to tell us about his best pal.

My best friend is called Hassan,

He is in class four.

I like Hassan because he has good  manners, and also he is a hardworking boy.

We do enjoy  different things like going to church, studying and playing.

We also teach our brothers  and sisters to respect   their elders  and each other.
We also like sharing what we have.

When  we   have  wronged  each other  we do  ask  for  forgiveness.

Even the smallest amount will make a big difference and contribute towards our efforts to finish, furnish and open our secondary school by January - ready to our children a chance to build their gown bright future, empowered by the best education possible,
It is their road out of poverty.
Please help by donating at http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

A privilege to volunteer at Happy House

A  month volunteering at the Happy House was everything Grace Dunbar had hoped for.
Back home in Wantage, Grace reflects on her experience:
"My grandparents, uncle and sister are all sponsors of children at the Happy House.
 I have visited twice before while on holiday and was inspired to go back and spend some time volunteering. 

I planned my trip for June 2014 but unfortunately my trip was cancelled as the Foreign Office advised against travel.  However, I was determined to get there this year and made the decision to go ahead and book again for a month.
I definitely made the right decision as I had the most amazing experience and it was so worthwhile to spend time at the Happy House.

Sue and Dave were waiting when I arrived, it was great to see them after so long and I couldn’t wait to get to the Happy House to see all of the children!

I made it there in the afternoon just in time for Kidz Club and had a wonderful greeting from all the kids.  
The older ones all jumping up to come and say hello while the younger kids were all singing songs and dancing.  I was made to feel very welcome!

I spent a lot of time at the school while I was volunteering, helping the children with their English, mainly with their pronunciation of words and phrases and their grammar.  You could see just how much they wanted to learn, asking me questions and interacting all the time.

My volunteering also involved helping to prepare the lunches to take to school and coming back to do the washing up.  Washing up for all the kids is a huge task!  I also helped in the garden, picking the tomatoes and spinach to be used in the lunches and dinners.  And helping the Aunties to feed and wash the babies.

At the end of the school day I would collect the children from school with the Aunties and walk home with them.  We would then have some time to play outside before shower time and dinner.  We’d play wheelbarrow races, frisbee, football and many other games!  The kids also loved playing on the tyre swings, all shouting for me to push them higher!

The weekends were full of activities and games; it was nice to spend some time with them while they werent at school.  I especially enjoyed baking with the older children on Saturday mornings – they make a great fruit crumble!

I was very lucky to be there for two new arrivals, baby Elizabeth-Anne,who was then six weeks, and newborn Nicholas. 
 It was amazing to see how welcoming the children are to their new family members, singing songs and dancing while Mama Sue brought them home.

The kids put on a special Kidz Club on the Saturday before I left; it was lovely to join in on the activities they had planned; netball, volleyball, tug of war and many more!  All of the aunties and teachers also got involved and gave us a great send off!

After a tearful goodbye to all my friends at the Happy House I am now home, feeling very lucky and privileged to have had that experience and to have spent the time with the wonderful Happy House family. 

I will definitely be visiting again as soon as I can and would encourage anyone to visit if they have the opportunity!  Thank you to everyone who made my experience happen!"

Building a Bright Future

The brilliant staff and students at St Aidan's CE School, Preesall, Lancashire, raised

£70 with a cake bake at the end of term which will help us to finish our secondary school and build a bright future for kids who do not have all the advantages of kids growing up in the more developed world.

Education should be the right of every child. Sadly, it is not.

YOU can make a donation this weekend, or plan your own cake bake for friends or colleagues, and help our Happy House give the kids in our picture, and others like them, a chance to complete their schooling.

Thank you.

To donate go to: 

http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Mercy looks ahead and family welcome for Amber and family

Today Mercy, 14, is doing the talking. 
In this video, it is with hope in her heart  that she looks forward to a bright future because of Happy House.
Without a free place in our school she would have no hope of completing her education.
We must raise the money to finish our secondary school and Build a Bright Future for Mercy and a so many young people just like her,
Please make a donation, or hold your own fundraiser. Together we CAN change lives.
To donate go to:
http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture
Thank you.

Happy House welcome

Kidz Club rolled out the welcome mat for  Amber, Paul, Emelie and Alex  Reed  when they
 came to visit.

Friends of Fiona, Hebe and Imogen Lockyer, the two families have been reunited on holiday in Watamu.
We love having guests so the children sang our welcome song especially for them.
In true tradition of our weekly gathering everyone at Kidz Club shared their news and this week they had a treated - delicious ripe mangoes.
We love having guests so the children sang our welcome song especially for them.
We'd like to say a huge thank you to the Reed family for all the essentials they brought for our family including bathing soaps, socks, pencils, books, toothbrushes and pastes, sanitary towels, and baby wipes.
Thank you all for your kindness.

Shiny new shoes and Building a Bright Future Appeal grows

Our shoe bank is showing a healthy balance!
Every child who needs new shoes for the start of next term will have them because of the way that you, our friends, responded to our request.
We have received enough money in to donations to buy 65 pairs of shoes.
This means that there will be some left in the shoe bank to buy shoes as and when a child wears out or outgrows their shoes.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
I think you can see from the smiles on the faces of these kids with the first delivery of shoes that they are very happy indeed.

Building a Bright Future Appeal

Week one and we have raised £1445 for our Happy house Building a Bright Future Appeal - thanks to you.

We are working flat out to try to boost our Happy House Building a Bright Future Appeal because we must raise the money we need to finish, furnish and open our secondary school in January.

Yesterday we received a £250 boost from Keystone Training Ltd.

 The lovely people there are in Alex's sponsor family and are helping to ensure that, when the time comes, he will have a secondary education assured.

Many of you will have received an email with our Appeal flyer telling you what we are doing and how you can donate.

You know that every penny you give will go exactly where intended to getting our first pupils into secondary school.

It's their future in our hands. 

Please help:http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Win a dress draw

Hayley Anderton is holding a prize draw on her children's fashion Freya Tallulah Facebook page to raise money for our Building a Bright Future Appeal.

Hayley, whose mum Caroline Bramhall and her Grace&Favour family are going all out to support our appeal, will enter everyone who donates a minimum of £1  to their Happy House Justgiving page https://www.justgiving.com/Caroline-Bramhall2 into a draw for a handmade Sally Play Dress in a fabric of their choice.
Hayley's Freya Tallulah page is https://www.facebook.com/FreyaTallulah
All entries must be in by 9pm on Sunday 16th of August heart emoticon

School Report: Always things to do

 Everyone is keeping busy in the holidays  as Mr Omoi reports:
All the Happy House kids like holiday club.It's  chance to have fun and games, but also an opportunity to brush up on on some of the areas of school work where they may be a little weak.Teachers are patient coaches and mentors, and the kids enjoy it.The class eight students are making the most of their time to get ready for the Kenya Certificate of Primary School Education which takes place in November.They will be the very first Happy House students to take the national exam and plan to keep our flag flying high.Learning is never a chore for our children, but they also love to be active and lots of sporting activities are being held every day.

It is for these kids ....

we need to get our secondary school finished, furnished and open, to make sure that these children, so eager to learn, have a chance to excel.

We are, at kindergarten and primary school, giving them a head start in life, we must carry it on at secondary school.

We need a total of £25,000 to finish the school, furnish, resource and, for the first year, pay teachers.  In a week we have raised, with so much help from our friends, £1,195.

We are a long way from our target, but hold firm to our belief that because what we are doing is right, right for every one of our children, that money will come.

Please help in any way you can. Thank you.

To donate:http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture

Wedding maids and masters!

 Love was in the air at a special kidz club.

Mama brought the family together to discuss Auntie Velma's wedding which will be held at our Happy House.

Velma and her Mr Right were going to have a very quiet wedding, until Mama asked if they would like to be married amongst our family, of which Velma is such an import part, at the Happy House.

And they were thrilled to bits.

Kidz Club was called with Auntie Velma to see who would like to be bridesmaids - all the girls immediately said yes, and the boys, not knowing what it means to be a bridesmaid, all said they would too!

Auntie Velma certainly won't have a shortage and our guess is that everyone will be involved.

The children were all asked to talk to Auntie Velma about their ideas for her wedding as this week she is on leave to conduct her wedding meetings.

The big day in November is sure to be a romantic and happy start to married life for Auntie Velma.

The event ended with sweets for everyone thanks to some lovely visitors.

Our school, their bright future

Without our Happy House none of these youngsters would have a hope of completing their education.

They are bright, clever and enthusiastic students who are eager to take very opportunity life offers them.

Without our Happy House, our scholarship scheme, they would be facing a a bleak future

Please help us to keep them in school and on the road out of poverty by making a donation, or organising a fundraiser, for our Building a Bright Future Appeal to finish, furnish, resource and staff our secondary school ready for opening by January 2016. http://campaign.justgiving.com/charity/childrenofwatamu/brightfuture