Louise takes the Children of Watamu to the Brownies

Louise Anderson who took our work for the children to Lytham High School from Heyhouse's Primary School, now has gone one step further and introduced our children to her Rainbow/Brownie Group

Louise is pictured here with some of the children who have raised £54 by making a silver snake in 5p's.

ROTARY CLUB OF BLACKPOOL SOUTH

The Rotary Club of Blackpool South very kindly organized a fund raising evening in support of the Eve in Africa Appeal for the Happy House children, on Thursday 9th of July at the Carousel Hotel 663, South promenade Blackpool.

It was a great night with African food and entertainment.

There was a presentation of our work for the children given by my husband Dave. Qute a few people present were interested in sponsoring one of our future Happy House children and took standing order forms, I look forward to hearing from them all.

The evening was organzied by Penelope Marshall-Kalina, a resounding £500 was raised for the Happy House. Thank you to one and all for caring.

Singleton Primary School

I have had a lovely time with Singleton Primary School this morning. We all attended a service taken by Father Martin in St Annes Church Singleton.

 

I was presented with a cheque for £447.92p, being the total rasied by the children through their fund raising efforts. One child had baked and sold cakes another had tended to his Nan's garden. Isn't lovely children working for other children? I wish to thanks Sandra Foulkes for her very kind gesture of making a matched donation to the funds the children worked so hard to raise.

I am pictured here with Father Martin and the Foundation Class

 

Mark Booth and Andy Makin are Happy to help

Mark Booth the owner of Blackpool print & design company Minuteman Press has  supported our work with the children over the past few years. Andy Makin who is the designer at the company created the logo of Jesse used by the charity.

 

Mark has been kind enough to print some  Eve in Africa stickers  for  Elizabeth Gomm, a  journalist,  who is running a very success appeal for the Happy House project in the Blackpool Gazette newspaper, to give to the children during her visit to Watamu with me on the 26th of June 2009 to see for herself the work being carried out due to the kindness and generosity of people on the Fylde coast. Follow our progress here and on Elizabeth's blog at www.blackpool.gazette.co.uk

Blankets with cuddles in them for the Happy House Children

Andrea Manders contacted me to say she had crocheted 17 small blankets for the Happy House Children. Andrea brought them today and they are gorgeous,all very soft and brightly colored. Ideal for small children. Andrea's daughter Ellena aged 10 was holding one of the blankets and said, 'I can feel cuddles in this one Mum' Just what our Happy House children will need lots of love, comfort, and definitely cuddles.

 

I am delighted to say that Andrea has also decided to sponsor one of our Happy House Children. 

 

Andrea is pictured here with her daughter Ellena 10 and her son Alex who is 9.

 

 

The Happy House has Floors & Windows

These pictures has been received today from Rose in Watamu. How amazing to see the windows are going in and the floors are being laid. It is fantastic. Thank you to everyone who has taken our children and this project to their hearts. Without the kindness and generosity of so many people this work for the Happy House Kids would not be possible. We now have a total of 50 people who have sponsored the Happy House Children. At the moment the money is being used to help us to finish and furnish the building. When the doors open, hopefully at the beginning of 2010, and the children start to  come home they will be introduced to theirs sponsors via pictures and email. Each child will have a memory box, for those too young to read and write everything about their sponsor , letters, pictures will be kept for them until they are old enough to open their box and know that some one does care enough to help and support them.

 

Please visit our Sponsored Child Scheme page maybe you too can help one of these very vulnerable children to a life of love and safety in our Happy House.

Happy House Garden

The sun doesn't always shine in Watamu. At the moment the rain is very heavy. It's hard for the children walking or riding their bikes to school. In the morning the rain is at it's heaviest, it then clears for a few hours and returns with a vengance later in the day.

 

One good thing is that everyone who has even the smallest peice of land has planted crops, and now that the rain has started everything is growing very fast. The main crop being maize. The Happy House garden is growing well with maize, melons, cabbages, tomatoes, and fruit trees. The food grown now is being used to subsidse lunches at school.

 

Magic the Fun base manager from Turtle Bay Beach Club gave me two turkeys and four ducks in February. Good news!! One of  the ducks has laid two eggs and the turkey three. New life is growing at the Happy House, waiting for the children to come home.

Lytham High & Performing Arts College Are Going to Watamu.

Lytham High & performing Art College have been supporting our work for the last few years all thanks to Louise Anderson who was a pupil at Heyhouses  Primary School . When Louise left Heyhouses for Lytham High she took The Children of Watamu with her.

 

Lytham High have worked very hard at raising funds to sponsors 10 children and equip a laboratory in our Secondary School.

 

15 students and 3 staff will be visiting Watamu at the beginning of July. It will be a very caring, sharing experience for so many children and adults. Our children are looking forward to welcoming the students from Lytham. They intend to teach them Swahili and African dance.In return, Lytham are looking forward to showing our children so many great ideas for music, art, science, drama and design.

 

 

 The photographs show Cherry Rigeway the Deputy Head Mistress who will be leading the trip and Louise putting their hand prints on the piece of material that will taken to Watamu and hung up at school to show one of the many ways that Lytham has raised funds. Our children will also be doing hand prints for Lytham to take back to their school.

 

Elizabeth Gomm a journalist from the Blackpool Gazette newspaper will also be joining us.

Aston and Cote Cof E Primary School Oxfordshire

I was very pleased when Simon Emmett asked me visit Aston and Cote Primary School near Bampton Oxfordshire. Earlier this year Simon set himself the challenge of swimming 100 kilometers in 100 days for the Happy House children. Not an easy task, but Simon not only completed his aim but also raised £3,248.

 

 Marjorie Ottley the headmistress of the school  Simon's daughter attends wanted a cultural link with a school in Africa so we were delighted to combine the two. It was a lovely afternoon, I spoke to Class 5 about the children in Watamu and we had a very energetic questions and answers session. Later a DVD was shown to all the school and I was presented with a cheque  the children had made. That will now be taken to our children in Watamu who will be exchanging emails and photographs with the children at Aston.

 

 Children working for other less fortunate children really does warm my heart.

Charity Psychic Night

Everyone is welcome to a Psychic Night at the Cliffs Hotel, Queens Promenade Blackpool on Monday the 22nd of June at 7.30pm.

 

Four mediums have agreed to give their services free of charge to help us to raise funds for the Happy House. Deborah Lochrie, Jean Entwistle Stephen Clarke and Psychic artist Beverley Todd.

 

Private tarot card readings will also be available on the night.

 

Tickets can be purchased from Sue at a cost of £5, please email sue@childrenofwatamu.net or ring 01253 352430. Tickets will also be available on the night.

 

 All tickets will be entered into a prize draw.

 

We look forward to seeing you all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Singleton School are flush with ideas

 

 

Headteacher  Sandra Foulkes is collecting 20 pences after issuing a half term fundraising challenge to pupils for the Gazette Eve in Africa Appeal for Children of Watamu's Happy House Orphanage.Sandra  suggested the children pop a money box in the bathroom so they could pop in 20p every time they used the loo - reminding them just how lucky they are to have the luxury of running water and modern plumbing!  In this picture (courtesy of The Gazette, Blackpool)  Sandra is pictured with (from left), Jake O'Hare, George Powlesland and Lauren Hulton

Stephanie & Lynsey Hill Bungee Jump for the Happy House Kids

 

It was lovely when Stephanie Hill emailed me earlier in the year to say she had found the website and was very interested in our work with the children. Stephanie and her Mum Bev have visited Kenya and seen for themselves the plight of so many children. Steph knew she needed to help. A Bunge Jump goodness that takes some bottle!!

 

Stephanie has created a Just Giving page at  www.justgiving.com/stephaniehill2

 

 

I spoke to Stephanie today and this is what she had to say:-

 

 

I have chosen to do my bungee jump for The Children of Watamu Charity as it was a real eye opener for me when I visited a Kenyan school.  I didn't think that one person could make a difference but I then found out about Sue and Dave and how much they had achieved, which made me think that maybe I could help.   Also with the Children of Watamu you know exactly where your money is going and how it is being used.