Wednesday, 9 November 2016

Mama leads the way to a better future

Way before her Happy House was finished,  Mama Sue said she wanted it to raise standards and to be a flagship for the way children in care can and should be looked after and educated,
At school with Mr Isaac
So it was with great pleasure that she accepted a request for a visit from the the Kiliffi District members of the ACIK (the Association of Children's Institutions in Kenya).
The members are all social workers or managers of homes.
The visit on Monday came about after the Rev. Joseph Matheka Munyasyu attended the local network meeting at Happy House last week.
Mama said: " He was so impressed with the way we run things at Happy House he wanted to bring the other ACIK members to learn from us.
 "Acik lobby the Government who make decisions regarding children’s homes. 
"The Government doesn’t visit homes or ask for the opinions of the people doing the job, just make sweeping decisions fom their offices! So a lobby group is needed.
"Rev Joseph also asked if we could provide lunch as the previous week he had enjoyed the food so much. 
"They very kindly made a donation that more than covered the cost.
 "Everyone in the group was very impressed with our high standards in every department. 
In the science lab
"I explained how Papa and I came here to start the Happy House, the way we run things, and told them about our sponsors and  the the kind people who fundraise for us. 
I explained that the most important ingredients of the way we work are honesty, treating every one with respect, and good management."
Showing other professionals the way we do things and gain excellent results, the high standards applied in every area and how children can be successfully repatriated into families when situations improve,  can, we hope, only help to raise standards.
Mama & Papa host lunch
We believe it is vital for children in care to be brought up in a loving, family atmosphere that does it very best for each individual and to maintain close contact with relatives unless it is not in the interests of the child.
By setting an example, we hope others will follow. 
Monday's ACIK visit is a step in the right direction.
 We hope ACIK members felt the warmth of our welcome and enjoyed their visit.

Christmas Appeal

Many thanks to all those who have donated towards our Festive Holiday Fund which will enable us to give an action packed week, with lots of treats, to all our resident children plus those, former Happy House kids, who have been repatriated with family members. They are still supported by Happy House and still very much members of our family, and they will all be travelling back for a week-long stay with us,
It's going to be exciting.

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