Baraka Paul came to Happy House because of problems at home which meant he could no longer be cared for by his mum. Already a scholarship student in our school, Mama Sue brought him into our family to ensure he was well cared for. He will stay with us for as long as is needed. He is enjoying being a Happy House kid and settled in straight away as he tells us on today's blog.
There were celebrations and congratulations at Kidz Club this week. The weekly family meeting celebrated two birthdays - Saumu Safari (pictured below left) turning 11 years and Lydia (below right) who is also turning 11. The girls received gifts and greetings. The Room of the Week Award is now being fiercely contested as the children sharing all want to win the prize for their bedroom. Auntie Velma gave a run down on how the rooms looked and mentioned the highs and the lows of her daily inspections, when each room is scored out of 10. Mama Sue explained that being spick and span on Tuesdays only ,when the award is announced, isn't enough as the rooms are being monitored every day! This week's winner was announced and the prize handed over room captain, Natasha. There were lots of songs and a special welcome song for our new arrival, Amani, who is settling in to our family.
Dawn Heather White "Aunty Dawn" to our kids at Happy House, has visited many times since 2010 when we first opened. She first volunteered in 2011 and has raised funds, and organised gift campaigns for clothing, plus sponsoring Amani, one of twins. In this lovely video Dawn Heather talks about the reasons she loves Happy House, the joy of seeing children grow up and encourages others to volunteer and to sponsor . Auntie Dawn is a wonderful friend who loves our family, and we love her.
As new children come into our care others are about to to leave. On today's video, Mama Sue explains how the coming long school holidays will provide an opportunity for some kids to go home to relatives on extended visits - a trial run to see if full repatriation is possible. Mama rightly believes no child should stay in care longer than is necessary and that if a relative is back on their feet, after whatever problems led to their child going into care, they should be reunited. Every case is carefully monitored on a regular basis to ensure all remains well. The interests of each individual child are paramount, always.
This little boy with a big smile is discovering just how joyful life can be. The newest member of our family Amani, 11, was alone and neglected when he was found stranded at a bus staging post last month. The third born in a family of eight, his parents divorced and, as is the culture, Amani was left in the care of his dad who suffers from a drink problem and was often absent for as long as a week. Amani was often sent home from school because fees were unpaid. Early this year he tried to find his mum, even though he has no idea where she lives, and boarded a bus in Lamu wanting to get to Kilifi. No one noticed he was alone and when he reached his destination didn't know where to go. He was taken to the police and then to a rescue centre but he ran away. He managed to get by and eventually arrived in Malindi where he was found by a kindly person who, concerned for his welfare, intervened and took him to the Children's Office. The Children's Office is looking for his family, but he will be staying at Happy House for as long as is needed and is settling in, going to school, and smiling! Welcome Amani.
There was a special treat for the group of boys with the best kept bedroom at Happy House. Room captain John and the boys he shares a room with stepped forward at a Saturday Kidz Club to receive a prize from Mama Sue and Papa Dave. There was great excitement as they opened the gift ... which will be put up on the wall in their room. Well done John and boys.
Papa Dave took some of our little ones down to the chicken run at Happy House on Saturday tosee the recently-hatched chicks.
The kids loved seeing the tiny birds running around, and watching Papa as he gave them some feed.
They also did their best to count them, not easy when they are so fast on their feet!
We are building up our stock of chickens, the adult birds were kindly donated by a local businessman, to provide both some of the eggs and meat we need to feed our big family.
Rukia shows you around our lounge at Happy House children's home. The lounge is where our kids like to relax and chill out, where they convene for some family meets, watch television or read. It's a lovely space and very much the heart of the home.
On today's blog, our Mama Sue talks about how lucky we are in the UK to have a national health service. She's been backwards and forwards to hospital in Malindi with children who have been suffering a contagious skin infection. Every trip has to be paid for, consultations and medication. Nothing is free. Esther is the only one to still needs treatment and they are back at hospital with her again today. Mama Sue always makes these trips into a happy adventure for the kids, so watch the video to find out why it was such a treat for little Esther!
There were lots of visitors to welcome to Kidz Club this week.
Maria, who works at Sun Palms Hotel, brought a party of Italian guests(right) to meet our family. They brought lots of biscuits and sweet treats for the children.
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Lisa, Carol, Mandy and Lisa, friends from Essex (left) who are staying with Auntie Linda, came along with Auntie DawnHeather as Linda was unable to be there.
There was the usual choirs sing off, which was voted a draw this week!
The children made their Mama proud as they entertained our guests with singing and dancing,
John's room was named the best team.
There was also one little girl celebrating a birthday. Ludwin, who is turning four this week, received her gifts and greetings .
There was a close fought inter-school quiz between competitors from Happy House School and Bambakofi Academy, Kilfifi.
The contest was hosted by Happy House and students were put to the test in a number of subjects. Now in the final few weeks of the school year, students are focussed on doing well in all areas and Class 8 is getting ready for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examinations. Happy House came top in three of the quiz subject areas but were beaten in the overall score - by just two points. Well done, both schools.
Kids are kids the world over, and being naughty now and again goes with the territory.
It's just in a family as large as ours at Happy House we have to keep a to keep a tight rein on any cases of naughtiness. Mama Sue and our social worker Uncle Ronald deal with any bad behaviour, skipping home work, being cheeky or disruptive. They talk to each child personally and firmly, and if there is no change will put in measures to curtail privileges.
An inter-house football contest finished on a an exciting note at Happy House School.
There were games between the yellow, green, red and blue houses. The first game was played between yellow and green which ended in favour of the yellow house with a goal against their opponents. The match blue versus red ended with score of 1:0 in favour of the red team . A final match was played between the winning teams but after a fiercely fought match neither teams had scored and the result depended on a penalty shoot-out. Yellow house triumphed and took the crown.
Our Happy House School principal, Mr Laurent, talks about his role and responsibility on today's video blog. Wth so many children in the charge of our school all our teachers are carefully chosen and must prove that they are capable and caring individuals who are prepare to embrace the Happy House way of education. Mr Laurent also thanks our supporters who help make his work possible by providing facilities and resources that are second to none and ensure that every child, who passes through our gates, regardless of how disadvantaged their background, has a chance to reach their full potential.
It was good to welcome back old friends at Happy House Kidz Club this week. AuntieLinda Newman and Auntie Dawn Heather White are frequent visitors and it's always lovely to see them again. Auntie Linda brought with her her friend Julie, who has also visited before and we are pleased to see her again. Mama, Papa, and the children sand the welcome songs and showed off their singing. This weeks sing-off winners was the girls team!
Today, Mama Sue appeals to our child sponsors to keep us up to date with their contact details. We want to keep you in touch with news of your sponsor child, but are unable to contact those who have changed their email addresses and not let us know. It's such a shame when emails bounce back. We've tried getting in touch other ways but to no avail and it is disappointing. We appreciate your support and want you to know what is going on with your child and at Happy House. Mama Sue and our social worker, Uncle Ronald, are only an email away! If you have changed you email address please contact: sue@childrenofwatamu.net
There was a medal for captain of the Happy House team competing at the Peace Tournament held with other local clubs last week. Evans, always a credit to our Happy House family, earned himself a medal for being the most disciplined team captain. We are thrilled for him. Ever since he was a little boy, Evans has taken on responsibility gladly and been an excellent role model for others. Well done, Evans!
Students from Happy House School took part in a Peace Tournament when football clubs from the area competed against each other,It was an all-action knockout competition and although Happy House didn't win they put up a very fine effort. Congratulations kids on a well-played game with some great teamwork!
Our awesome friend Will Gordon crossed the finishing line of the Great North Run on Sunday having banked £815 in sponsorship for Happy House. Will never makes fundraising easy for himself, he sets himself a challenge and then goes for it. Last year he attempted two half-marathons for Happy House, his "lifelong charity", and having managed the Leeds Half-Marathon, he hobbled over the finishing line in the great North Run. But never a man to be beaten Will, who lives just outside Leeds, was back for more this weekend. Running on a sunny day, with no shade, took its toll and slowed Will down to finish in a two hours 14minutes - not as fast as he would have liked. But his fundraising leapt way of his £250 targer, with his family and friends donating a wonderful £815. Will said: Thank you or the sponsorship... it really does help some of the poorest kids in Kenya who haven't had the best start in life. Our thanks to Will and to all those who backed this Happy House winner, for a brilliant effort and for always going the extra mile. Happy House loves you!
On today's video, Mama Sue explains how Happy House is the only family some of our children will ever know. Foundlings like David, Harry, Esther and Brian, are growing up together as close as any family bound by blood. For others, in our care for as long as they need to be, we can rebuild broken families by repatriating them back to relatives, once they are able to give a child a home again. Our work is made possible by you, our child sponsors, and we are so grateful for the way you respond and understand, with genuine delight, when your sponsor child leaves to go home - and the way in which you want to continue your support by sponsoring another child and enhancing their lives with your friendship and your love. Sue, with your help, is turning young lives around, we always need new sponsors and more funds. Thank You.
Stephano had no hope of an education while he was living in dire poverty with his aunt. She had taken in Stephano and his two younger sisters with the best of intention, but three additional children was too much of a burden for her to bear and they went into a children's home. The aunt visited them and saw they were being badly treated, and upset for the kids she loves asked Happy House to intervene and the children were brought into our safe care. Stephano, the eldest of three, tells us about himself in today's video blog. www.childrenofwatamu.net
Birthday celebrations for two children at Happy House this week.
Birthdays are always celebrated at Kidz Club family meeting and this time it was Uncle Ronald, our social worker, who was leading the gathering as Mama Sue and Papa Dave have been taking a few days off.
Birthday boys are Greg and Daniel.
It was a happy time sharing greetings, news and a few songs too.
There's a visit to our school library on oour video today with guides Mr Nickson and Madam Sarah, teachers in our school. Having a well-resourced library, with books on all subjects - fact and fiction - is so important to increasing knowledge, developing reading skills and enhancing the lives of our students. It is also where we store all our DVDs and CDs so that they can be traced at any time. We know exactly who has what, thanks to the very generous donation of a Junior Library management system by Micro Librarian Systems (now Capita Reading Cloud). All our books have been donated, or bought with money donated, so we are indebted to all those who give so kindly that our children may grow and flourish.
English is not the first language for children in Kenya. They speak their tribal tongue and also Kswahili the common language between tribe and English.
And yet, as a legacy of British colonial days, they are taught in English in schools and English is a core subject.
In this video, we join Standard 3 in our Happy House Primary School for a lively English lesson with Madam Naomi.
All we have Happy House is used until it is completely worn out. It's our duty to those who support us to ensure their money is used well and spent wisely . With our original beds, well used when we got them, now well past their use by date, we have been replacing them as and when we can. A couple of donations have allowed for some more new beds, materials are bought locally and the beds made by our joiner,Uncle Charo in his workshop. We have also replaced worn out mattresses and pillows. In today's video some of our girls show of their new beds and say thank you.
Children who come into the care of Happy House remain in our with us for as long as they need to. Because we actively stay in touch with any relatives our children may have and encourage contact and, when possible, home visits the kids form strong family bonds. So when a parent or family member recovers from whatever problems led to their youngsters going into care and they are able to give them a home again, we make it possible, with continuing support, for them to do so. We continue to monitor the situation and should it become necessary for a child to return into our care they do so - again for a as long as need be and they are happy knowing that "Once at Happy House kid, always a Happy house kid." For others, as Mama Sue explains in today's video, Happy House will be the only home and family they know. Without you, our child sponsors, this would not be possible. You add so much to the life of our children, not just by providing financial support, but also by sharing you lives with your child. Children look on their sponsors as extended family and it's lovely for them to know that someone, beyond the Happy House, loves them too. To find out more about sponsoring a child contact sue@childrenofwatamu.net or elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net
At Happy House school our children, regardless of background, learn on a level playing field. We believe that every child deserves the best and for many of our children in our school, those who live in our care or those, from abject poverty, on our free place Dr Danwata Scholarship Scheme, education is their only road out of poverty. Football, too, is a great leveller. It brings together people from all backgrounds to work as a team, using their individual skills and building on the strengths of others, to aim for a similar goal. Today we bring you an extract of a football match between Primary forms 2 and 8.
Evans was one of the very first kids to come into care of Happy House when it opened in 2010. Eventually, with our continuing support, it was possible for him to live with an aunt and her family back in the community, whilst still attending our school. Evans is a clever, hardworking young man, and in the school holidays he has been coming to Happy House to help in the garden as he tells us in his blog.
Charity and Morphin were the centre of attention at Kidz Club this week as t the two members of of Happy House family to be celebrating birthdays this week. It was, as it always is, a happy time with lots of singing with choirs of little ones, boys v girls, competing against each other in a singing competition. The boys, on the march as Papa Dave's Leeds Utd army, sang Marching on Together, following Papa around the room like a little tribe. The girls put on a very good performance, but this week the little boys took the crown.
Our Happy House School principal, Mr Laurent, talks about his role and responsibility on today's video blog.
There was a medal for captain of the Happy House team competing at the Peace Tournament held with other local clubs last week.
Students from Happy House School took part in a Peace Tournament when football clubs from the area competed against each other,It was an all-action knockout competition and although Happy House didn't win they put up a very fine effort. Congratulations kids on a well-played game with some great teamwork!
Birthday celebrations for two children at Happy House this week.
Children who come into the care of Happy House remain in our with us for as long as they need to.
