House for sale

Having just sold her own house, our very good friend, fundraiser and volunteer Lynn McCluskey has put up a"For Sale" sign on her second property - this time with the proceeds to the Happy House!

It's a full furnished and equipped doll's house and emporium. It is truly beautiful, furnished to a very high spec to suit even the most discerning of dolls (or collectors).

Lynn, who sponsors Musyoka, is selling it at the Happy House Craft Fair and Fun Day at Parks Art Deco Cafe, Stanley Park, Blackpool, from 10am-3pm. Offers, over £30, will be accepted and the dolls house, which can be viewed on the day, will go to whoever has made the highest bid by 2pm.

Thank you so much Lynn for this very kind gift to help our kids.

For potential purchasers it is a real chance to buy an heirloom of the future. If you would like more details or want to make a bid (the winning bidder must be able to collect) please email lynnmc.28@gmail.com

Hello again

There was a big welcome back to Watamu from the kids for good friend of the Happy House and a fantastic fundraiser, Dawn Heather White.

And a special hello from baby Harry. Dawn Heather, a regular helper at the Happy House, can't believe over how much he's grown and how mobile he's become in the months since her last visit. It's that Happy House magic, Dawn Heather!

Dawn Heather has brought lots of useful goodies including clothes and crocs.

Asante sana, Dawn Heather.

A talent not to Missa

Blackpool High School's Pop Idol, the very talented ,Missa, will be be performing songs from her upcoming album at the Happy House May craft fair and family fun day at Parks Art Deco Cafe, Stanley Park, Blackpool, on Saturday.

Missa - real name Melissa Miles - is very generously  donating all the proceeds from her album to the Happy House and pre-orders will be taken on Saturday.

Today, Missa is singing with the stars, taking the stage alongside A-lister and Britain's Got Talent judge David Hasselhoff at the opening of Nickelodeon Land,  a new six-acre area of the famous Pleasure Beach, home to 12 rides and attractions based on the firm's characters.

The fair is from 10am-3pm, please come along and see us.

Playing out

Kids just being kids ... that's just one of the real joys of the Happy House.

Before they came to us,  our kids were living in the worst kind of hardship, old before their years, and some forced to look fear in the face every single day.

Safe at the Happy House,where they are surrounded by love, cared for and respected, those days are now in the past and just being able to play is no longer a luxury.

 

Time to rejoice

There's great cause for rejoicing for Sue, Dave and the family - baby David has been given a clean bill of health.

A premature baby, he was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth and as she was known to be HIV Positive there has always been a niggling worry that David may be too, but as he had never been breast-fed we were able to keep an optimistic outlook.

Now, after weeks of waiting, the news we all wanted to hear has arrived ... our adorable David is in the clear.

A very relieved social worker, Uncle Billy, says: "At last we got a clearance from the hospital for our one and only David Hayward!

"For weeks on end we've been waiting for his PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test findings with bated breath.

"This is a test  offspring of all sero-exposed mothers are subjected to.

"David has shown negative so he now he can happily do away with the daily septrin and nevirapine dosages.

" Party time again! "

Flying the flag

A very big thank you to Sean at Parks Art Deco Cafe, Stanley Park,  Blackpool, for this splendid banner advertising our Craft Fair and Fun Day there next Saturday (May 7) from 10am-3pm.

We have lots of stalls but are still on the look out for more prizes - specially for our children's tombola and for our all chocolate,  Chocobola - as we really need prizes in advance of the day. 

Please contact Elizabeth Gomm elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net if you are in the area and have        anything to donate.

Please make a note of the evnt in your diary ... it would be lovely to see you!

Farewell to friends

It was with heavy hearts and some tears that we said goodbye to our six rescue kids.

The children, who were entrusted to us last October, temporarily, by the children's office after we exposed the terrible conditions at a place posing as a children's "home", are now being repatriated to be close to their own families.

They'd been brought many miles to Watamu and as they do have parents or close relatives it is important that they should return to them or, at least, be close enough for regular visits. All are being carefully monitored by the children's office in their area.

We were so sad to see them go, in six months with us they have become very much a part of our family, and they ,too, were full of mixed feelings ... wanting to stay, but also wanting to go to their families too.

But they were only ever with us until they had given their evidence in the court case against the mama running the "children's home", unfortunately that took much longer than we ever expected.

We have played our part, bringing them back to good health, keeping them safe, happy and well adjusted, and each and every one of them knows that all though they may no longer be with us they will always be "Happy House Kids" and welcome to visit if and when they can.

Our magic has worked on these children and the space they leave will make room for others who are now in far greater need.

Tears flowed freely as our kids sang a farewell song and there were many hugs before they piled into the car with Papa Dave at the wheel.

It was he who had the hardest part of all, taking them to the children's office to start their journey home. It was a very emotional trip for them all, but Papa was able to return with Franco as a passenger... the children's office putting him in the custody of his grandma who lives locally.

Saying goodbye to friends is one of life's hard lessons, and it is one even our kids have to learn.