Harry's birthday is always a reason to smile. Seven this week, he was our first Happy House miracle. Harry, found newborn and eight weeks premature, on a rubbish dump in Malindi was only discovered because a normally busy street was quiet. Warda the passer by, who turned out to be his guardian angel, heard the tiny rustle of a carrier bag as she walked by the tip. She was compelled to look inside the bag and, to her surprise, found our Harry and rushed him to get medical help. He was such a tiny, poorly baby, but after eight weeks in hospital, with Happy House providing all the milk, medicines, nappies, clothes and love that he needed, he came home to our family and has thrived ever since Harry Hayward, named after Papa Dave's dad, is growing stronger and taller with every year, and it was
Happy House kindergarten kids went on a trip to Gede for a music festival held at Gede Primary School.
This was a livelt and high competitive event with the best schools in Watamu zone cluster.
Mama Sue, Uncle Ronnie and the Kidz Council also went along to support our KG youngsters.
Our children tried their very best in performances in all sections.
The results were as follows:
Poetry: Position 4 with 82%; Shairi: position 3 with 81% and Songs: position 2 with 71%,. We are still waiting for the report to tell us whether we will move on to the next level.
There was an excellent attendance at a parents and guardians meeting held by Happy House School just before school closed for the mid-term break.
Everyone was extremely happy with the performance of their children and promised to give their full support and cooperation to the school their children.
Mama has always emphasised the importance of parental involvement in a child's learning and in the need for consistent encouragement and support.
After the meeting parents were able to take part in an academic clinic where they and their kids could meet with the respective form teacher on a one to one basis.
Pupil and teachers have promised to work tirelessly to make sure they maintain the top position in the county.
A balanced diet, regular bedtimes and a caring environment gives them their vim and vigour,
And while they are having all-action fun they are also building strong bones, gaining confidence, learning new skills and maintaining a feelgood factor
With weeds popping up all over the place, our garden gang have been hard at work keeping the grounds around their home neat and tidy. Mama and Papa have always emphasised to our kids the importance of looking after their Happy House home and taking a pride in their surroundings. The children, led by the Kidz Council, and their teachers have been working side by side to pull up all the weeds and bits of grass around the Happy House grounds. A job well done!
I am now in Form 2 secondary school and this term we were able to choose which subjects we wished to drop.
This system means that we can stop taking subjects that we will not need to progress on to our chosen career path,
Previously, we had 13 subjects which is a heavy load.
Through discussions and suggestions with the board of
management together with the teachers, we were able to choose the subjects that
we needed to achieve our future careers through the kind support given to us by
our lovely director Mama Sue and all the management staffs involved in this
system.
This system has made my learning much more manageable and I can concentrate on subjects that are important to me
I have got enough time to go through my work and
it has given me time to read more.
I can now concentrate more on what will help me achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor.
We could not have gotten this new system without the kind support from our Mama Sue ,and that is why I say a big thank you to her and all the
management.
Thank you so much for this wonderful joy that you have
brought into us, and as form two students we promise to work extra harder than ever before,
thank you.
What do you do when school's out? Head for the beach to make a splash. It's been the mid-term break this week and so to finish it on a high note Mama suggested a trip to the sands. Frst thing yesterday, before it got too hot, our children and staff made their happy way to the beach where they played on the sands, building sandcastles and having a kick about, and splashed in the water, the older ones looking after the littlies It was a happy morning for a Happy House family!
There were cheers for Lily when she was awarded Mama's coveted Star of the Week at Kidz Club. Lily received the award for keeping the room she shares with some of er Happy House "sisters" clean and tidy and being a good role model to the other girls. Mama congratulated all the children on working hard to do well in their recent exams.
There's never a problem getting our little ones to eat their five a day! With fresh fruit and vegetables, much of it straight from the garden, all ripened in the sun it comes at its tastiest, juiciest, best. And it it goes down a treat as these pictures of of our Elizabeth illustrate!
Little Michael took a tumble while he was outside playing with his pals. An x-ray showed he had a slight fracture just below and elbow. Uncle Steve took him to Malindi to Tofiq private hospital where, following the x-ray, his arm was put in a lightweight plaster. He's taking it all in the stride and back and keeping up with his playmates, who were all very concerned for him, just as before!
Our Happy House cat lead a purrfect life. He is surrounded by kids and adults who love him, plenty of space to hunt or just to lay in the sun. The outdoor kitchen was one of his favourite spots, but now he's taken to paying a daily visit to Mama's office. Mama says: "He comes in the office everyday at 12.30 when Dave arrives with our lunch. He will eat everything Including home made vegetable soup, really enjoying the carrots. " He loves tuna sandwiches, sausages, yogurt, bananas and one of his favorites is mozzarella cheese. "When the children are around he enjoys rice and ugali with them. " He is the most loving little cat is our Happy Hayward, he rubs around our legs meowing. He lets the children stroke him, even if it is the wrong way. He never scratches anyone, if they get a bit much he just runs away. "He finds a nice sunny spot for one of his many daily naps. " He is 7 years old now, everyone has grown up together, he has also lost most of his teeth same as the kids.. Just pleased they will grow new ones !"
Lavinne was struggling, because of family hardship, to access any education before she was given a free place scholarship at Happy House. She was so eager to learn and is enjoying every minute of being in school. She writes:
At Happy Hoouse secondary school our
education is so much fun.
We do all kind of
activities.
Our teachers are the best and are ready to help us
with anything that we may find is really hard for us.
We do
practical activities in science in with our well equipped laboratory.
We
also do our research using the computers which have
got Internet.
We can also read a lot of story
books from the library to improve our English in
both pronunciation and grammar.
A bumper number of birthdays were celebrated at Happy house this week. Four children received their gifts and greetings at Kidz Club, the weekly gathering when all the children and staff come together to share their news. This week's birthdays are Priscilla Ponda, Baraka Kaigu and twins Amani and Baraka Kea. Happy birthday to you all. Birthday kids pictured are: Top left: Amani; top right, Baraka; Bottom left: Baraka Kaingu; bottom right, Priscilla.
Mama Sue's mission to rebuild families is charting new territory in childcare in Kenya.
Over the last year and a half, we have successful repatriated more than 40 children, some of whom had been in our care for several years, to a parent or blood relative..
In most cases, this has been successful. But in some cases children have returned to Happy House.
With our careful monitoring, and by giving each child a voice, means when it hasn't worked out children have returned, seamlessly and without emotional stress, into our family.
Catching up with Hassan and Maria
They have settled in as if they'd never been away.
Rukia and Said
For instance, Katana has come home because he was struggling to live in the community with an elder sister and yet his older brother Fikiri is fine with his family and has stayed.
Rukia and Said, living with a grandma and auntie, have also returned because, as the months went over, they were finding it difficult to adjust.
Pendo, Lily and Samson have returned to our roost without so much as batting an eyelid as their mum has lost her job and wasn't managing she wanted to.
"Some children went on extended home visits and have stayed, others, for a variety of reasons, are back home," said Mama Sue.
"We can never say a child has gone permanently because situations here can change in the blink of an eye," said Mama Sue.
"The family carer might not be able to find work, or fall ill, or the child might become unsettled.
"Everything we do puts the child first.
Katana
" Each one knows that once they are a Happy House kid they are always a Happy House kid, and because we have empowered them to speak out they are not afraid to ask to come home to us if they feel the need to and a relative feels able to admit if they are not managing.
"Nothing is ever treated as failure. We have built relationships based on honesty and positivity
"We work so hard to keep up with families of every child who is now living back with relatives and for the majority it is working and we are delighted this is so.
"They are growing up, as they should, with relatives in the their own communities while we support their education and medical needs for as long as we need to.
"Gradually we are encouraging their carers to take more responsibility with the eventual aim of their being able to provide for all the needs of their youngsters.
"This is not a pipe dream, it is a slowly emerging reality.
"With our encouragement a parent or relative will work towards providing for their child or children.
"We are there to be a safety net if it is needed."
"None of this would be possible without your support and your sponsorship. Together we are changing young lives for the better here at Happy House and in the wider community."We constantly need more sponsors, more funds, it's a huge undertaking."
Over the next few weeks sponsors will receive an update on their sponsor child. Mama said she and our enthusiastic young social worker, Uncle Ronald, were working so hard to keep in contact with all the children and relatives now living together in their local communities.
She, Papa and Uncle Ronnie make visits to home and schools of the kids now living with relatives to see and hear for themselves how they are going on.
In our video, made at the start of the week when our kids were embarking on mid-term exams, Mama Sue talks more about her work with families.
A lovely couple visiting from the USA are promising to tell all their friends about our wonderful Happy House when they get back home. Melany and Corey Rabideau, who live in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, got in touch with Sue when they were arranging their visit to Kenya back at the start of the year. They wanted to sponsor a child they could get to know on their visit. Melany and Corey sponsor four year old Nickson who came into our care with his brother older Brian last year. Melany and Corey have had great fun playing with Nickson and all our kids, They brought with them gifts for the children including a bubble wand which has been a huge hit.
As another week is underway at Happy House School everything is running smoothly and to plan, writes Madam Naomi. We are reaching the targets we set and both primary and secondary pupils have been busy revising for their exams which are now taking place. Teachers have been on hand to give help wherever needed in the run up to these important tests. Pupils have been inspired by the talks they have been having with Mama Sue and we are hopeful of an improved performance.
In Kindergarten teachers and children have been preparing the items they will perform for an upcoming music festival, hosted at Happy House School. The festival includes items in English and Kiswahili plus poems, songs and dancing
On Saturday, Happy House kids enjoyed a morning in school getting ready for their mid-term examinations. With Mama's support and encouragement, backing from social worker Uncle Ronnie, head teacher. Mr Isaac, and all the teachers all the kids are promising to do their best. And if the school performance takes the Happy House to first place in the zone Mama has told them they can look forward to a treat - a celebration party.
Newsletter
A lot of hard work and creativity went into producing the latest Happy House and School newsletter which was sent out to sponsors last week.
Mama and her team have been receiving lots of positive messages from our friends who were delighted to be kept abreast of the news.
If you would like to take a look at it please follow this link to find it on our website:
Trees that have outgrown their space in the Happy House grounds have been felled. Mama asked the outdoor staff to cut the trees and chop the wood into logs. They will now be dried out and the logs used on the wood oven in the outdoor kitchen, giving us a saving on the cost of fuel.
Scholarship student Michael Baya is one of the many students of our school who are enjoying the experience of learning with the aid of a smart TV. The TV was bought with money raised in Taif, Saudi Arabia, by Lesley and Alan Pidock. Michael writes:
Am saying thanks for the smart TV to Mama and our donors.
It helps us in many things and it also enables our studies to run well.
We should give gratitude to Mama Sue for the love that
she is showing us and for saying we should have such a TV.
The smart TV has helps us to searching for the answers to questions through the internet as it is connect to the network; it also helps us to lean more at each lesson.
For that work Mama is doing I am praying
to God to help so as to come up with more networks like the
one she got for us.
There was a splash happy time for the Kidz Council when they went on a visit to Mama and Papa's house. The council members, who are the eyes and ears of the family, report to Mama every week on any items they wish to raise and they also play an active role in organising the children to help around the house.
To say thank you for the job they do Mama and Papa invited them to go round for a swim, hot dogs and juice.
There was a first class delivery service for new desks to our school's KG2. A willing band of helpers carried the desks, made by our joiner Charo and his assistant, Isaac, into class. Replacing worn our furniture, already well used when we got it seven years ago, and making additional desks and chairs as more children enter our school is a continual and worrying expense. We need 56 new desk, so far Charo has made 25. At a cost of £15 per unit for materials we need a whopping £840 to make them all.. If could could help by donating £15 to buying a desk or making a donation towards the cost it would be a huge help. Donations can be made via JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/childrenofwatamu/Donate
There was a very warm welcome for our long-time Happy House friends Scott and Laura Webster when they went to talk at their local church about their many experiences volunteering with our family.
One of their first volunteer visits
Scott and Laura were speaking to the Friendship Group at Royal Wootton Bassett Methodist Church, an audience of 25 people from many different backgrounds including former social worker, probation officer and teachers.
Scott and Laura illustrated their talk with pictures they'd taken themselves, plus a video and presentation provided by our UK coordinator Elizabeth.
Scott said: " Some of the people there had volunteered overseas themselves and they were all very impressed by is being achieved for children at the Happy House and its school."
The group very kindly made a donation of £50 to help. Our thanks to them and to Scott and Laura.
Charity shop
If you are anywhere near the Fylde coast please pop in to see what we have on sale this week in a charity shop in Poulton.
Poulton Methodist Church owns the shop which it allows local charities to use, on a rota basis, for one week each year in return for a percentage of the takings. It's a great resource for charities like our own.
We will be opening from 10am-3pm today, tomorrow and Thursday.
Harry's birthday is always a reason to smile.
