Oh baby!

The youngest member of our family, baby Emmanuel is growing up fast!

He's now nine months old,  now he is nine months old. He can stand with support and is trying hard to feed himself.

He is a happy, healthy little boy who smiles all the time.

 Emmanuel joined our family in February, 2017 in a very poor state, having been carried around the streets by his mum, who has mental health problems, and who was eating from the garbage,

Now he has a safe childhood in a loving family and is another example of our Happy House magic at work!

Fund grows ... but a long way to go

With just a couple of months until we need to start building, our Classrooms for Kids appeal fund is growing - but there is still a long way to go,
We now have £3079 towards the £7000 we so desperately need to add two new classrooms to our secondary school.
If you could spare £5 or £10 towards the build you would be taking us ever nearer our target. 
To donate online please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/childrenofwatamu/classroomsforkids

Our school, by Michael

Scholarship student Michael knows he is lucky to have an education that is second to none now he is at Happy House school.

He writes:

I am Michael,a student from Form 1 secondary school.

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about our school its appearance, its outlook and its performance

Firstly, I would like to talk about its appearance, even though it is quite a small school it can accommodate a large number of children comfortably.

Environment plays a big role in our education. Happy House school gives a conducive environment, a nice place where children and students can acquire knowledge and skills in appropriate way.

Secondly, its performance. Not only do children and students get better place to learn but because of the high quality of teaching and facilities we perform very well.

I believe no other school that can yield a higher education in Kenya than our school is.

Welcome back Auntie Coral

The family is happy to have volunteer Coral Blackhurst back in class,
Auntie Coral to our family, she had just returned from her home in the Isle of Man, to spend time in Watamu volunteering in our kindergarten.
Former nursery school owner, Coral provides great assistance by giving one-to-one support to children who need help in areas where they struggle. She is also a fantastic storyteller.
This week she has been working with a KG1 pupil who is struggling with reading, and we know that her help will bring results as it it has with pupils in the past who were soon able to read on their own.
Md Sarah, class teacher, has been working with her pupils to identify where they need extra help and to give them the support and confidence they need to forge ahead.
In playgroup, the little ones continue to learn through play and organised activities with lots of singing and stories to bring on their English.

Debating the issue

Learning to speak in public is a skill that will always be useful in lfe.

And so we have debating sessions on our school timetable every Wednesday and Friday.

The debates give students a chance to express their ideas on a variety of topics freely and in a reasoned way.

They enjoy the sessions and always do their best.

YOU can make a difference

With £2,759 raised we are 39% of the way to the £7000 we need to build two new classrooms on to our school.

We must start the build in November to ensure the new rooms are ready to open when the new academic year starts in January.

Please can you give today? £5 or £10 will take us ever nearer to our goal and help us to give kids from dire need a bright future,

To donate go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/childrenofwatamu/classroomsforkids
Thank you.

Happy hello to Auntie Dawn

Our family was delighted to welcome Dawn Heather White back to Happy House.
Auntie Dawn Heather, from Bangor, Northern Ireland, is back in Watamu for a holiday and the visiting Happy House for Kids Club was a must and she was greeted with our welcome song.
Auntie Dawn Heather was pleased to help  Papa Dave present this week's birthday children with their gifts.
She  presented Saumu Safari with her gifts while Papa  had the happy task of presenting Lydia with her gift bag. Both girls are turning 10. 
Welcome back, Auntie Dawn.

School report: Working hard

 With a re-play of the general election scheduled for a few weeks time, schools in Kenya will be breaking up in October this year, reports Md Sarah.

This makes it the shortest term in living memory and as it also the most important term of the year,  everyone is working hard towards achieving their personal goal - of passing end of term exams and going up into the next class when the new academic year starts in January.

Mid-terms exams have been taking place in primary and secondary schools, whilst the kindergarten kids have been busy with their own learning activities.

Practical skills

 Learning how things grow and how to grow them is important to our kids
Mr Moshe lead a practical lesson for class four where they visited the Happy House garden and greenhouses to see the different types of crops grown. 
The lesson led to some lively interaction and plenty of questions.
Please help

We must raise £7000 to build and furnish two classrooms for our secondary school by January,With your help we will do it. Any amount, no matter how small, will take us a step nearer our goal.To donate online go to: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/childrenofwatamu/classroomsforkids