Soroptimists Support

The ladies from the Lytham branch of the Soroptimists very generously donated £1,521 to the Happy House Project for us to buy a  much needed water pump. A well has been sunk so the pump will enable us to use the water for toilets, washing,cleaning and watering the garden

Happy House Progress

The work on the Happy House is progressing well due to the fantastic support we are receiving from people who have arranged a monthly standing order to sponsor one of the Happy House Children. At the moment the money is being used to enable us to finish and furnish. When the building is complete and  the children come 'home' they will be introduced to their sponsor via email and pictures. I am going to ask all sponsors to write a letter to 'their 'child to say why they decided to sponsor, what it means to them and enclose pictures of them and their family. Regular updates will be sent to everyone. Sponsors will see their child grow to be a Happy healthy confident child who will hold their head high and be proud to say ' I'm a Happy House Kid '

 

A  memory box will be kept for each child. Those children who are too young to understand  that they have someone that cares the letters and photographs from their sponsor will be saved  until they can read for themselves that they are loved.

 

Please visit our Sponsored Child Scheme page for details if you  feel that you can save a child from a life of poverty and despair. If you are already sponsoring one of the children maybe you have a friend or relation who would also like to help.

The Rotary Club of Limavady in Northern Ireland

 

 

The Rotary Club of Limavady, in Northern Ireland, a club within the family of Rotary International, is supporting the 'Happy House Project'.

One of the club members a regular visitor to Watamu, presented the 'Happy House Project' to the club, who then decided that  they would, as part of their international support effort, make a contribution to this Project. Their contribution will be used to furnish, with all the necessary furniture, one of the rooms in which 10 children will study and sleep.

Rotary International have, this year assumed the motto of 'Make Dreams Real, and it is felt that this project certainly falls with in this aim.

Singleton Primary School

 

Sandra Foulkes the Headmistress of Singleton Primary School near Blackpool invited me to speak to the children. It is a small school with only 90 pupils As soon as I entered the school I could feel a lovely atmosphere.

 

Sandra has made two very bright and informative notice boards in the corrider with lots of information and pictures about the Happy House and the children who will eventually live there. All the children in school were very enthusiastic about sponsoring children and purchasing items from the Wish List. It was decided the school will sponsor 4 of the Happy House children and Sandra will also sponsor on a personel level. That was such fantastic news!! Sponsorship at the moment is helping us to furnish and finish the Happy House and as and when the children come 'home' they will be introduced to their sponsors via photographs and email.

 

Sandra has set the children a task for the school holidays to raise as much money as they can for the Happy House children. She has very kindly offered to match all the funds raised.

I sang Jerusalem with the W.I.

I was delighted to be asked by Judith Scholes the President  a Blackpool section of the W.I to do a presentation about the children and our work in Watamu. It was a lovely afternoon. I was made so welcome by this very lively group of ladies. Everyone was very interested in the Happy House and how it would be a lifeline to so many abandoned and orphaned children.

 

I wish to thank everyone for the very generous donation towards our work. It is due to the kindness and generosity of people such as these ladies that makes our work with the children possible. 

Children Helping other Children

In response to the Blackpool Gazette Newspapers Eve in Africa Appeal. Kind hearted duo Emma & Joseph Fineman decided to do a sponsored bike ride. The brother and sister were so touched by the plight of the homeless orphans in Watamu, Kenya that they wanted to do their bit. The children have raised over £200 for the Happy House and the money is still coming in. Their older sister Hailey set up a JustGiving Page at www.justgiving.com/josephandemma  Hailey and their Mum Jackie also took part in the ride. 

Blackpool Gazette Happy House Appeal

The great news is that on the 5th of May 2009 the Blackpol Gazette Newspaper launched a fantastic summer appeal for the Happy House Children. Elizabeth Gomm the journalist of the Eve section on the newspaper has always been very supportive of our work. Elizabeth also sponsors one of our children in Watamu. Please follow this link to read the article written by Elizabeth. www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk and click onto appeal logo on home page.

Even though this newspaper is local to Blackpool where Dave and I live, you can also support the appeal. Could you arrange a coffee morning or a quiz night among your friends? A sponsored slim or swim are always popular. There are so many ways to have fun and help the children.

Hopefully this brilliant publicity will bring lots of support for the Happy House children. The main support needed is for furnishing and finishing the Happy House.
We also desperately need sponsors for the children.Can you sponsor one of our very vulnerable frightened children who are living and sleeping rough waiting for the Happy House to open? It will be a place where the children will find a 'family', love and support. A Happy place where the children will be able to go to sleep in a bed and wake up to a breakfast. If people will arrange a £20 monthly standing order either through their bank or through JustGiving on the website www.childrenofwatamu.net this will help us to furnish and finish the Happy House, then as the children arrive they will be introduced to the sponsors via email and photographs. If the children are too young to read and write pictures and letters from their sponsors will be put in their file until they are old enough to know that someone does truly care about them.

Please visit the Sponsored Child Scheme page on the website where it explains what has been achieved and our hopes for the future of so many children.

For more information please contact either Elizabeth or Sue.

Elizabeth Gomm can be contacted at elizabeth.gomm@blackpoolgazette.co.uk 01253 361831
Sue Hayward can be contacted at sue@childrenofwatamu.net 01253 352430