Children Caring for Children

We have 700 children now safe in our schools receiving a good education, which is the road out of poverty.

What about the others who are in and around Watamu just wandering around homeless, hopeless, and very vulnerable? They try desperately to take care of each other.

Please help us to give a future to these children, help us to finish the Happy House. It will be a home where they will be a family with security and love. We need you help.

Not only do we have to build the Happy House we need to equip it for 100 children from birth to whatever the age of children who need our help and support. These children will need beds and linen, cups, plates, everything that your children need in your home. We need cookers, fridges, washing machines, water boilers, irons, and so much more.
Please set up a monthly standing order for £10 or £20 it will help us to buy everything needed for one child. When the Happy House is up and running the monthly donation will then be used to provide the day to day needs of the child who you will be introduced to through pictures and email. Regular updates will be sent of the child that you are saving from a life of poverty and despair. You will see your child grow to be a Happy healthy confident child who will hold their head high and be so proud to say ‘I am a Happy House Kid ‘
The monthly payment can be made here on the site via Justgiving. or by a monthly standing order from your bank. A form for the bank can be obtained via email from Sue who can also give you lots more information regarding your sponsorship. sue@childrenofwatamu.net Please visit our Wish List you may wish to sponsor a child as a present for a loved one.

Gary Louise & Grace Webster

This is an article that appearred in the Darlington and Stockton Times recently.

Gary and Louise Webster of Spennithorne near Leyburn fell in love with Kenya when they went there on honeymoon in 5 years ago. They were so moved by the plight of the children there they resolved to do something to help.

Louise came across the charity Children of Watamu run by Sue Hayward of Blackpool. So she contacted her asking how she could help. The charity is at the moment building an orphanage for local children and Louise has arranged a standing order to sponsor towards building it. Once the Happy House is built Louise will sponsor the first child. She also runs children's clothes collections. Her friends knit squares, which she makes into blankets.

Since her daughter Grace who is now three was born she has taken her to Watamu . Later this year all the family are going back to Watamu to work in the orphanage. " I wanted to take Grace to show her what she had and they didn't." said Louise.

Whilst the orphanage, called the Happy House is still being built, any monthly donations are helping to finish and furnish it. When the house is complete the sponsors will be introduced to 'their' child via the email with photographs and details of the child. Most of these children will have just been abandoned or orphaned through malaria, Aids, HIV.

When complete the Happy House will have 100 children who will be able to go to sleep in safety wake up to a breakfast. .

Sue says about Louise," Louise has been great support in many ways She has made beautiful blankets for the beds for the future Happy House children, she has organised friends to support, donate and also knit jumpers and cardigans for the children".

Louise, who works at the Friarage Hospital in Northallerton, can be contacted on 07801252857 if you can spare children clothing. Or you want to knit some squares for blankets. Visit http://www.childrenofwatamu.net if you would like to sponsor a child.

Simon Emm 100 kilometres in 100 days

Simon Emm  was very impressed with the work that  Chris Franklin is doing to raise funds for the children. Chris also does the children's website, which is fantastic.Simon decided he wanted to raise money for the Happy House Kids. He is doing this by swimming 100 kilometres in 100 days. How fantastic is that? Simon wanted to raise £2,000, at the moment his total stands at £1,500 he will complete the swim tomorrow, let hope  he reaches his target. You can visit Simon's Just Giving page at http://www.justgiving.com/ simonemm .

 Simon also has a great video on youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl95Qva4MzY 

Thanks Simon for caring.

 

Dave & Sue go back to Blackpool

Dave & I are leaving Watamu on the 5th of April to travel back to Blackpool. We have very mixed emotions. So looking forward to seeing our lovely family but wishing we could be here permanently with the Happy House complete so that so many children can be loved and cared for.To enable this to happen we must sell our Hotel in Blackpool and as we all know this is not exactly the best time. It will happen we know it will.

The pictures show we are now up to the roof with the doors and windows being put in place downstairs. There is still a lot needed but what has been achieved so far is stunning.

Thank you Party

On the 3rd of April we gave a thank you party for all the men and women who are building the Happy House. A goat was roasted, ugali and tomato salad was served. We also supplied beer and soft drinks. We thanked everyone for all their hard work and they in turn thanked us for the fact that they had work to enable them to feed and clothe their families.

Helen Rigby and Phil Charnley

I was contacted recently by Helen Rigby and Phil Charnley, I thought I must share this email with everyone it is so kind.

Sue -
We live in Rochdale, Lancs. The wedding date is 20th June. We're having a traditional church wedding but the reception is being held in giant katas (wigwams) on top of the Pennines. We've lived together now for a couple of years, bought our house last year and have everything we need. I saw your appeal on Inside Out and knew I had to come and see for myself the work that you're doing. I've long since wanted to work for some sort of aid agency (having worked briefly with surgeons on an 'ear camp' in Nepal), and you've inspired me some more. Phil builds BMX tracks for a living, and was drawn to your bike brigade - he said that Watamu must be crying out for some dirt jumps!

We decided to honeymoon in Kenya and have asked our wedding guests to forgo buying us gifts in place of donating towards our trip of a lifetime and helping your Happy House kids. As a good friend said to me, when she offered to sponsor a child on our behalf;

"You and him have love and happiness, I can't buy you anything...but for a few quid a month I can help a little person, which will help the little person and make two people I love happy."

That made me cry!
We can't wait to come and meet the children in July :-)
Helen


We have received around 10 enquries from Helen & Phil's friends to arrange a monthly standing order to sponsor our Happy House Kids

Thank you all for caring.

Sue

Dr Steve Cushing has finished!!

I am delighted to say that Steve Cushing has finished the Marathon De Sables. What a fantastic achievement. All the details will be posted on Steve's blog board.

We feel honoured that Steve decided to under take this mamouth task to support the Children of Watamu Happy House project. His support is greatly needed and truly appreciated.

Thanks for caring Steve,

Read Steve's blog