And we hope today, as you open your gifts, you will truly enjoy every minute of this special day.
The gift we we are able to give to children in Kenya, thanks to the work of our inspirational Mama Sue and to each one of you who supports our charity, will stay with them always.
In our Happy House we give them hope, love and respect.
In our school, the gift is education and opportunity it brings with it.
In our Happy House we give them hope, love and respect.
In our school, the gift is education and opportunity it brings with it.
When Sue first started her work in Watamu in 2000, she was very much on her own, working all hours to gather support for the school she was determined to pull into the 21st century, and to give the teachers the tools with which to teach.
With the enduring love and encouragement of Papa Dave, she registered a charity in 2003, and started a sponsorship scheme to help put needy children through school.
Assad was one of them.
He was sponsored in 2003 by a husband and wife who were regular visitors to Turtle Bay Hotel. When the wife died, the sponsorship fizzled out but Mama continued to fund him until 2007 when he was one of her first sponsor children to graduate from class eight, achieving the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education - a landmark in the life of every Kenyan child.
Now 21, Assad met up Mama and Papa again, by chance.
With the enduring love and encouragement of Papa Dave, she registered a charity in 2003, and started a sponsorship scheme to help put needy children through school.
Assad was one of them.
He was sponsored in 2003 by a husband and wife who were regular visitors to Turtle Bay Hotel. When the wife died, the sponsorship fizzled out but Mama continued to fund him until 2007 when he was one of her first sponsor children to graduate from class eight, achieving the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education - a landmark in the life of every Kenyan child.Now 21, Assad met up Mama and Papa again, by chance.
Mama says:
How pleased he was. He says were are his Mama and Papa as he was an orphan when he came to school.
He talked about us having parties at school, and giving bicycles so kids would get to school more quickly and of how, when he went to college, he knew all about computers because of what I had done to equip his school.
He remembered when he finished primary after getting his KCPE. "When we passed Mama you were so proud of us," he said.
I told him: I still am.
He was holding my hand and kissing me.
How pleased he was. He says were are his Mama and Papa as he was an orphan when he came to school.
He talked about us having parties at school, and giving bicycles so kids would get to school more quickly and of how, when he went to college, he knew all about computers because of what I had done to equip his school.
He remembered when he finished primary after getting his KCPE. "When we passed Mama you were so proud of us," he said.
I told him: I still am.
He was holding my hand and kissing me.
He knew Dave had been in the army and that he supports Leeds, he remembered everything."
Am so proud of Mama Sue and Mr David who made me and changed my life.
I am so thankful of them, they pay for me for all I need for four years.
I am so proud of them. They are good, gentle, caring and the loveliest people have ever met in my life. They are good people. They changed my life in study for free and give everything for me.
I am so thankful and grateful to them and pray they have all the best in their life.
I treasure them in my life forever.
God Bless them."
Sue's meeting Assad brought the realisation of hope she has held in her heart for years.
"When we first were first sending shoeboxes out to school, I told Dave that, in years to come, I would like a young man to come to me and say: I remember you coming to our school and giving me a present. Now it has happened."
Assad is not a lone voice, there are hundreds like him who will not forget their gift from Mama.
Her gift to Assad, and to all of them, was an education which now, as an adults is helping them to rise above the poverty they were born into and to strike out to fulfil their own hopes and dreams.
Happy days for Jeremiah
For little Jeremiah who had lived with hardship and hunger before joining our family a few days ago , his dreams are coming true as he discovers, for the first time, the joy of being a child at Christmas.
He is pictured (left) on the day he arrived, filling his tummy with his first meal for two days, and on the right, cuddling his new teddy by our Christmas tree.
Now he goes to sleep in a bed and wakes up to a breakfast every day - and this morning it was the traditional festive treat, doughnuts!
Happy Christmas.
