Special times

There were special visitors for two of our children this week.
Abdulmalik, who was abandoned by his mum as a baby, had a visit from his dad who, after working out of the country is back in Kenya and has traced his son to Happy House.
Bramuel was thrilled to see Abdulmalik, who was a tiny baby, when he last saw him.
Abdulmalik was, understandably, was very unsure of the stranger.
Bramuel patiently and quietly talked to his son who later climbed on his knee,
Bramuel will be coming to see him as often as he can,
Meanwhile, Jessica's visitors were sponsors Brian and Maxine Haigh from Leeds.
They called into Happy House where they were shown round by Papa Dave before going on to school to say hello

to Jessica and to visit her class.

Thank you for coming Maxine and Brian.

Saumu is nine

 Birthday girl Saumu Safari was all smiles when she stepped forward to receive her birthday gift bag from Auntie Rose at this week's Kidz Club.
Her brothers and sisters, in fine voice, sang the birthday song to wish Saumu, who is nine, a happy birthday.
Neat and tidy John Murchiri was awarded Star of the Week for keeping his locker and room smart.

School Report: All is well

From the earliest days, our Happy House kids, at home and in school, learn the importance of "Doing the right thing, at the right time, in the right place."

With encouragement and help, they learn to follow this simple guide  so it's a pleasure to hear from teacher Mdm Nelly, who writes this week's School Report:

"Everybody  is doing the right thing at the right time at the right place.

 We had PPI section when Mr Isaac was the teacher leading an enjoyable session with the children.

He spoke about  God’s  love to human  beings  and  the  love we show to  others.

Standards 7 and 8 have been taking their county exams over three days.

Our candidates have been leading in the whole of Kilifi County and for this exam, we are expecting them to be position one overall."

Raining cash!

Many thanks to Jill Snowden and Virgin Trains for the latest donation of £48.50 from the sale of unclaimed lost umbrellas at Preston Station.
Jill is great supporter of Mama Sue and her life-changing work with children and  this donation will be used to help support students on free places in our school on our Dr Danwata Scholarship Scheme.
Both Jill and Mama Sue were successfully treated by oncologist Dr Danwata when they had breast cancer.
Thank you to Jill and to passengers in staff at Preston who have bought the lost brollies.

Happy House "a family where everyone offers support"

After two weeks volunteering at Happy House Giuliana Pezzana is back at work organising events at a congress centre.

Our children has such a profound impact on Giuliana she was feeling homesick for Happy House  before she left as she tells us in her blog:

During my time at Happy House I have enjoyed playing and working with the youngest children, aged one to five years old and helping some of them to start writing first letters of the alphabet or drawing signs to practice with the pen.

I appreciated the very good organisation inside the Happy House and the school. One of the best things I could see is all the attention the children receive and in the way they are taught to be self-sufficient and help the children receive when they are learning to read. 

I could see how teachers care about showing children the rules. Everyone, from the youngest to the eldest, has some duties like washing their hands before eating and clearing their dish as soon as they have finished; they know to keep order in the classroom or before going for snacks.

 Children help in the house and it is very much a family in which everyone offers their support and help.

 All the rooms are very clean and there is a laundry where you will also find the washing machines. 

The house also has  a vegetable garden which offers produce direct to the kitchens.

 Happy House is a very nice place where children surely feel at home among aunties and uncles who take care of them. A lovely place which gives you the warmth of a family is how I felt in my two weeks there.  

Even before I left  for home I was already feeling blue and homesick for my new “family”

. I thank Mama Sue and Papa Dave for giving me the opportunity to volunteer, and all the teachers and others who work there for receiving me as one of them.

 I would like to thank all the children. Above all I remember Ann and Baraka who were the first to welcome me and who never wanted to leave my side. Fabio who joked with me while I was trying to help him to eat; Earnest who was always looking for my attention; Thomas  who, the funniest of all, was always joking; Pili who is shy but not so much that she wouldn’t quarrel with others to stay beside me; Joy who is the sweetest of all as her name reflects; Ashura who is sweet and a very good girl; Christiano who is funny and loving; Leslie and Ludwin who are an example to every mother;  Mariam and Farida who are the youngest;  Abdul who is always smiling and active;  Esther who is shy but always smiling; Alpha who is smiling and lovely. I couldn’t write of every child, so I have written of those who  I spent more time with and who entered my heart so deeply.

Mama Sue is my hero, by Philip

Today's junior blogger is scholarship student Philip Khonde 14, who comes from a home of extreme hardship.

Mama Sue is the hero of my life and my education, Thank you Mama for giving me a scholarship and a chance.

You are showing me a sign of love by giving me my school, school shoes, shoe polish, torch, school uniformand so many other things concerning my education.

I have seen that you have great  plan of my overhead life.

All what you provide for me, is caring of my life. I’m really appreciating it.

I am real enjoying Happy House life.

Thans for organising breakfast club hich is very great to me,

Our star Charity

Mama's Star of the Week is only awarded when one of our children dooes something exceptional.
And so Charity had every reason to be proud of herself at Kidz Club when she was asked to step forward to be presented with a certificate.
Charity, six, was chosen because she keeps her locker super-neat, setting a good example to the other girls in her room.
Well done Charity!
Auntie Dawn Heather White and Auntie Linda Newman joined Mama, Papa and the family for Kidz Club along with Linda's friend, Julie.

Friends from Italy

Our family has many friends in Italy and Mama and Papa were delighted to welcome, for the first time, three lovely ladies from Rome.

Kind-hearted Guila Di Vara has set up her own project African Upendo to raise money and goods in Italy which she can distribute on her trips to kenya.

And Mama was very happy to be presented with 150 euros which will go towards supporting our children.

Guila (third left)  and her freinds Valeria Barbaresi and Patrizia Rossi were shown round our beautiful home and gardens by Papa Dave.,

Thank you Guilia for your kind donation and and for coming to visit, we hope that you, Valeria and Patrizia will come back again soon.

Kindness get school back to normal

We are incredibly grateful to the generous friends who stepped in with a donation to replace the items stolen in last week's break-in at our school.
Their wonderful kindness,has has enabled  Mama Sue to ensure that the for vital pieces of equipment including a submersible pump, TV decoder and laboratory equipment were back in place as soon as possible.
And that was specially good news for our Form 1 secondary class who were able to have a practical science lesson as scheduled.
The donation has also helped to repair damage done in the overnight raid.
Thank you, our friends, for your generosity and reducing Mama and Papa's worry and stress at a very anxious time.
You are making a difference to the lives of children.
Additional security measures to those already in place have been employed, which will be an ongoing additional expense, to do all we can to deter burglars. 

School Report:Currency v barter debate

School is buzzing with activity as kids are pulling out all the stops to achieve the targets they agreed with teachers at the start of term, writes Md Sarah..

Setting individual targets keeps everyone on their toes.

Primary classes enjoyed a lively debate when the topic was trading in currency versus bartering. 

Currency came out an overwhelming winner as the kids decided it was better to be able to use currency to buy what you need or want than to barter which would require having an item or items exchange.

Playgroup children enjoyed a session where thet were blowing with long or short breaths which they find fun whilst also exercising their muscles.

Baby class kids relaxed with a hand massage session where they covered their heads to aid relaxation while the teacher spoke words of positive affirmation as he massaged their hands in turn.

Earlier they used sponges to squeeze gently onto each others skin discover both the sensory and textural experience and also to leran how sponge reacts to touch.

Keeping the beach clean

 Watamu beach is looking a whole lot cleaner thanks to students from local schools and other volunteers who took part in International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday.

And kids from Happy House Secondary School joined the frontline waging a war on litter and other debris on the beach.

International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is organised by the Ocean Conservancy  and is the World's largest volunteer effort for our oceans and waterways.

More than 8 million kilograms of trash was collected by nearly 800,000 volunteers during the 2015 ICC.
Watamu Marine Association and Ocean Sole coordinated the Kenya coast cleanup for the fourth year running, along the entire coast of Kenya from Kiunga in the north to Msambweni in the south. Keny Wildlife coordinated the cleanup in Marine Protected Areas.

Our school's Mr Steve said:  "The activity was so good for our Happy House kids because they had time  to interact with pupils from other schools and also to learn different things about the coast and the problems caused by litter from the exercise

Thanks to our beloved Mama Sue and entire family for supporting the Happy House team taking part."

Margaret does us proud in parliament

Margaret with Mama and her new headteacher.

From Happy House to Parliament - that's our Margaret.
One of our youngsters who went home to live with an aunt and uncle in January, Margaret is excelling in her new school. 
So well, and so articulate, that she was selected to represent his school in the Children’s Parliament Annual National Council in Nairobi. 
During the sitting, reports were read about the achievements made in the past year successes and shortcomings while charting the way forward.
Margaret, who learnt so much about children's rights  from Mama Sue and social worker, Uncle Billy,  whilst at Happy House, addressed the assembly on the subject of cruelty to children.
Our social worker, Uncle Billy, said of Margaret's rise to parliament: 
" This was a wonderful opportunity with far reaching effects not only for Margaret and her current school, but for the Happy House family and wider community at large.
" A perfect example of how the potent Happy House magic is spreading far and wide! 
"We are so proud of our little brave warriors."

The right place to be, by Evans

Evans (right) with Janet and Oscar

Evans was one of our first Happy House kids and earlier this year e were able to repatriate him, his aelder sister Janet and younger brother, Oscar, into their own family.
They now live with an aunt's family but still attend Happy House School as it is nearby. Evans is in Class Eight and is working hard towards his Kenya Certificate of Primary School Education exam in November.
He writes: "Hello this is Evans ,

I am happy to be in a happy caring and environment that is the Happy House.

This is the right place for you and me to stay. 

There lots of things to enjoy with at Happy House School.

We  have different activities these are games, debates and exchange programme. 

With exchange programme we normally go to other schools for the activities.

 “HAPPY HOUSE POWER“ is our slogan. 

We  are popular in the area because of our victory not only in sports but also in academics. 

This is because of our lovely Mama, Papa and the help of our teachers and the friends who are our sponsors. 

These lovely and caring people are the reasons or our success. 

We will always be Happy House kids and be famous to the whole world because of our success.

Thank you very much."

* We desperately need more sponsors for our children.

It costs £20 a month to sponsor a Happy House kid or scholarship student in our school, from abject poverty.  To find out more email elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net

Ladies Club and Kidz Club - two meetings continents apart

The ladies of Lytham St Annes Amicus Club gave a warm welcome to our UK coordinator Elizabeth Gomm  when she was guest speaker at their weekly meeting.
The ladies, who meet at St Annes Pensioners' Hall, enjoyed hearing about how Mama had turned her Happy House dream into a reality and how, since it opened, she and Papa have devoted their lives to making life brighter for needy children.
A donation from the club and personal donations resulted in a total of £74.62p.

Kidz Club

The weekly Kidz Club is a time of celebration and information.  Our whole family gets together to share news, welcome any visitors,  give out greetings and gifts for birthdays and just to sing a few songs and have a happy time.

A surprise for our mum-to-be

 Mum to be, Auntie Velma, had a surprise send-off when she started maternity leave this week.
Auntie Velma, who plays a key role in Mama's support team, is due to give birth to her first child very soon.
Mama arranged a special treat when each of the management team spoke their goodwill messages full of kind words.
They were then joined by the children who sang beautifully for their special Auntie Velma, before tucking in to some celebratory biscuits.
Our extended family, around the world, join Mama, Papa and the family at the Happy House, in wishing Auntie Velma well. We look forward to news of your baby's arrival.

Good news and bad

Today, we have both good news and bad from Happy House as Mama Sue and Uncle Billy explain on video.
The good news is our success in getting children, who no longer need to remain in care, back to live with a parent or relative who is now in a position to give them a home.
And to ensure they are fully integrated integrating into their communities they are now in local schools, with Happy House meeting all the costs of their education including fees, uniform, shoes and books.
We will also pay for any medical care a child may need.
The bad news is of a break in which is a financial setback, as we will have to replace items stolen and to employ increased security  manpower.
Police forensics team and Happy House staff are pictured right:



 

School Report: Busy start

It's been a busy first week of the new term - the most important in the school year.

It's a crucial time

for Year 8 Primary  who will be sitting their nation KCPE exams in November, and for other pupils who hope to move up to their next class when the new academic year begins in January.

The opening day assembly was addresses by Mama Sue and Uncle Billy who reminded children to work hard and to strive to be the best they canm be,

Day two saw Classes six, seven and eight starting  their sub-county exams  while class one to five started their exams on Wednesday.

The rest of the school was busy with pupils working hard to achieve their set targets. 

The pain of being parted

Every week since his children came into our care at the end of June, this father has been to visit.

As is so often the case, the story that led to them joining our family has, on further investigation, turned out to be far from the way it was first told.

That Kahonzi, Randu,Pili and Beja needed shelter from a storm is in no doubt, and they are flourishing in the safe haven of Happy House.

Their elder brother, who has severe learning difficulties and  was also in need surgery,  was placed in another children's home equipped to care for his needs in Mombasa.

For the dad, defeated by circumstances, visiting his four little ones is the highlight of his week, 

He is also anxious and worried about his eldest and Uncle Billy has helped to arrange for him to visit him at the home in Mombasa.

A never-ending story

Keeping our  Happy House looking spick and span means there is always somethintg that needs painting or repairing.

Mama Sue and her team ensure a rolling programme of maintenance to ensure as few nasty surprises as possible,

Mama says: "The Forth Bridge springs to mind! 

"We needed to do some painting and freshen the lounge kitchen , reception and my office. We have done it all in pale lemon.

" The seating we have painted black which looks very striking against the walls and the coloured seat cushions. 

 "The white seating always looked scuffed and grubby with so many little hands and feet all over it. 

" Everyone says how good it looks, I must say it is a bit different!"

My polite friends, by Sammy

Manners maketh the man, as  scholarship student Sammy Okutu knows.

He writes: "My friends are very polite towards me .I love them because they always teach the right things that I should follow. 

My friends are called Oleo and Kasha, they have very good names. 

They also bright at school every time they perform very well at their studies 

For real,  "A friend in need is a friend indeed." 

Apples bring delight

 There were apples all round for our kids thanks to the very successful barbecue at London Colney Cricket Club, organised by Natasha Wenman, Craig Osbourne and Danny MacFoster.
The event on August Bank Holiday Monday raised £1880 and Natasha, who volunteered with our family, aked Mama if a little bit could be used to buy a treat for the kids,
Apples are too expensive to buy regularly and as everyone loves them Mama decided they 
would be an ideal - and healthy - treat.
The remainder will be used to help support youngsters, many of whom are yet to be sponsored, on our scholarship scheme. 
Thank you Natasha, Craig, Danny and to all who supported the event.

Court honour for Mama

It is a measure of the high regard in which Mama Sue is held that she should should have been singled out to cut the cake with the chief judge at the commssioning of the new children's court in Malindi.
The newly built court is a huge improvement on the old courts which were uncomfortable and outdated.
Last week, representatives from Child Care Institutions were invited to look round the courts and speaking on behalf of CCIs, Mama thanked all those who had make the new court a reality and for working with the interests of children at heart.
She  suggested that they consider more comfortable seats plus books and toys for youngsters waiting for court sessions to start,
On Wednesday, Mama, Papa and Uncle Billy were back at court for the commissioning and Mama was delighted when she was asked to assist in the cake cutting ceremony.
After the formalities, guests enjoy cake and.refreshments.

Welcome Auntie

 There was a happy time at Kidz Club when Mama and Papa welcomed our ln lovely, loyal, friend Dawn Heather White from Bangor, Northern Ireland.
Dawn Heather is on her second visit this year and we our family is delighted to see her again.
The kids were in fine voice as they sang "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and "Love is like a Mango.".

Feet first!

Just some of the kids shoes at lunch time

With so many kids living at Happy House, all with their own clothes and shoes, it really is amazing how everyone knows exactly what belongs to whom!
At meal times, the kids ;leave their shoes neatly arranged outside the dining room and when they go back out to play, each child - even the smallest - trips off in the right shoes.
Often on the wrong foot, though!

Gifts and greeting

Thank you to our recent visitors, friends Hailey and Debs Aspinall for all the lovely goodies they brought for our children, and to their family and friends helped fill their bag!
As you can see our kids were thrilled, everything will go into our storeroom to be used as and when ir is needed.

Nice to see you

We were delighted to welcome visitors

NIcky,Sue and Lesley who are holidaying in the area and had heard about Happy House.
They enjoyed seeing how Mama Sue is making a  difference to children's lives and to meet the kids who were all busy with various activities around their home.
They are pictured with Auntie Jessica.

Moving forward

Today,  Mama Sue and our social worker Uncle Billy talk to you, on video, about how our work with children is rippling out into the community.
It involves changes for some children, we have successfully reunited with families or now going back to relatives willing and able to give them a home.
They are taking the next step to becoming fully integrated into their home communities by attending local schools instead of making long journeys into Happy House every day.
And we are making this happen by paying school fees and buying uniform, shoes etc - everything a child needs for a new school.
Of course, keeping them well is important so we will meet any medical expenses for the children who remain very much a part of our Happy House family, regardless of where they live.
Introducing children into local schools  has proved so successful with the children who went back to families in January, but who could not travel into Happy House, They are settled, doing really well in school and making huge strides forward.
As is the custom in so many schools, the girls and boys must have shaved heads, but Mama says they don't mind a bit. In fact, they like it. 
She and Billy have been into every school to meet with headteachers and to pay the fees, which will be paid annually by us. Progress and exams results will be monitored very closely indeed.
Mama says she has been heartened by what she has seen in the schools she has visited and by her discussions with the headteachers,
As Mama and Uncle Billy tell you this is a natural move forward- right for the for the children and their families.
Our wonderful friends who sponsor kids starting out on an exciting new phase in their lives will receive emails over the next week.
 We hope you will want to continue to sponsor your child - now within the community - and to enjoy seeing how they grow and progress

My school. by Peter

Peter Changawa, 17, is one of eight kids. He was missing out on school because there was no money to pay fees.

A scholarship to our school has changed his life:

Happy House is a school found in watamu

It is headed by Mama Sue who is the director

Here in Happy House all learning facilities are here

As well as the primary section there is also secondary school

There are French studies and computer studies

I am among the scholarship scheme students and I say thank you Mama Sue for the assistance which you give to me

I am now able to score high marks because of the well trained teachers which are found here.

 I am also able to use a computer which is like a dream to me

Thank you Mama and God bless you so much.

*We are desperatefor people to sponsor our scholarship stidents, like Peter  £20 a month will provide all they need to succeed- including tuition, uniform, books, shoes, two meals and snacks. Please, can YOU give a child a chance?

Please email elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net