Hard work and success bring rewards.This is a lesson that Mama Sue uses to raise the performance and aspirations of the young people in our care at Happy House children's home and those, from backgrounds of extreme hardship, on scholarship places in our school.
And so when all our 2016 Primary Class Eight passed their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education with very good marks, Mama and Papa set about organising the overnight safari they had promised them, following in the success of that undertaken with the previous year's successes.
With plans in place, all the youngsters stayed at Happy House overnight so they would up and ready for a very early start.
They were so excited when the land cruisers that were to transport them on the two-and-half hour journey to Tsavo East National Park.arrived to pick them up.
Accompanied by Mama Sue, Papa Dave, teachers Madam Nelly and Mr Steve, they the set off in convoy.
And the wildlife came out to greet them as they were treated to a safari spectacular on their game drives in the national park, learning much from the experienced guides who travelled with them.But their adventure was about much more than the wildlife.
Staying overnight in a basic lodge on the game park was pure luxury to these kids and something they could not have comprehended, never mind dreamt of.They come from humble homes where there is little, so to sleep in shared rooms, with en suite bathrooms, to be served up delicious meals in the dining room and to be able to splash around in a swimming pool was just an experience of a lifetime.
Mama and Papa were there to guide and advise so they would know what cutlery to use when, to ensure they never forgot their manners and to chat away and sing-a-long around a fire put in the evening.
The experiences of these two days will live on the memories of the kids for the rest of their lives.
