Delivering Santa smiles

Flashback to 2012

 Santa's little helpers wasted no time in responding to his appeal for help!
Parcels full of lovely items for our children have started arriving at the Happy House and are being spirited away to Santa's storeroom ready for the big day.
Mama is so delighted,   our Santa has such a job on his hands finding gifts for 78 children that he needs all the help he can get!
Top of his wish list are books - we have so many avid readers that we can never have enough, fact or fiction,  plus dvds, pc games and new summer-weight clothing, bags for our girls etc.
Books, dvds and pc games are great because both the child who receives one as a gift and their brothers and sisters all get to enjoy them.
Christmas is such a magical time and it is by making wonderful memories at times like these that we can help to erase some of the traumas our children have suffered in the past.

2012: Bags of love

So please keep your parcels coming. Everything is so gratefully received and with children aged from, a few months to 16, will be suitable for someone.
But, like last year, we are sorry it won't be possible  to acknowledge every individual parcel, but for birthdays and individual letters etc to sponsor children you will always get a reply.. 
You know how much we appreciate your  friendship, your love and your kindness.

If you would like to help Santa deliver a sackful of smiles to our children please send your parcel to Sue Hayward's Happy House, PO Box 796, Watamu, Kenya, East Africa.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

STOCKING FILLERS

If you are looking for a stocking filler for a relative or friend maybe a Happy House calico bag would fit the bill?

they are £5 each (+70p postage and packaging in the UK) available online via  ebid page http://uk.ebid.net/for-sale/reusable-recycled-cotton-fabric-shopping-bag-children-of-watamu-happy-house-117121165.htm

or if you are on the Fylde Coast and would like to collect please email elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net

Time to talk

 The wonderful story of  the journey that led Mama and Papa to their Happy House, never fails to to touch hearts and inspire.
And it is a story that Elizabeth never tires of telling.
Yesterday, her lovely audience were members of the Ladies Guild at Victoria Congregational Church, Blackpool, who were deeply touched by the plight of the children who come to us and the way that their lives are being transformed.
They were full of admiration for Mama's extraordinary dedication and grateful that when she saw the troubled lives of so many kids she did not walk away from their problem but set about finding a solution, whatever the personal cost.
And there was special mention of  Papa, her constant support.
The kind-hearted group made a donation of £40 and a collection raised another £36.05.
Our thanks go to them for their generosity.

Some things never stop

 One thing is for certain, keeping up appearances at the Happy House is like an never ending story.
It's like painting the Forth Bridge, a seemingly endless task.
Our buildings are big, they have to be to house all our family and a school, and the un-relentless sun, high humidity, and salt in the air take their toll on the paintwork, varnish etc.
And when you have 78 children at home, plus 70 or so more coming in every day to join them in school, wear and tear is an inevitability.
Some routine jobs were understandably put on hold while Mama and Papa were in the UK, but since they have been home Mama has forged ahead to catch up.
Paintwork and varnish are being spruced up and galana paths are being laid around the outside to keep ants from nesting in the gaps that had formed at the edges of the building.
Walls are being painted and  the wrought iron is being given a coat of paint, so that everything is spick and span.
The children's rooms were looking very tired. The bedcovers faded and worn after three years of daily washing, so they are being replaced room by room.
This all costs money, but it has to be spent. The Happy House  It is like any family home, you have to to look after so that everything lasts as long as possible,
And we do have a lot of years ahead of us ....

Songs of praise

Our children enjoy going to church  every week, attend Hosanna Church in Timboni.
Church services are lively with lots of hymns of praise and hallelujahsl 
On Saturday, it was children's day and Mama and Papa went along with 24 of the children.
The children from the church sang a song first and then our Happy House kids were invited to sing which they did so well, making their Mama and Papa very proud.
Mama, who is pictured with the Pastor's wife, Joy,  said: "While I was away, they had done a fun day at Watamu Primary, I have said that we will have one at the Happy House, later this month.
" I want to get involved with other children  in the community so they can come  to share our facilities, whether it is a game of football, or just fun on a Saturday morning.
" So many children here  have such lost lives, nothing to look forward to, I like to think we can help to ring the changes."

Moving upstairs, by Janet

With the library, computer room and school offices moved into the beautifully converted banda, the upstairs rooms they occupied are being returned to family use.
Some of the older children are moving upstairs, to give us room to take more children in desperate need, and Mama has made sure they have been involved in the move every step of the way.
Our  Kidz Council  also had a say on who should be given the privilege of moving first with some of the older but, as Uncle Billy puts it,"more errant" members of the family being denied the chance until they get their act together!
He adds: " Those moving will be expected to take good care of their hygiene and cleanliness of the room in general. We know they can for they are willing and able. Well done kids and congratulations for your hard work"

Today, Janet, tells us all about the exciting changes:

 It was on Sunday when suddenly Mama and Papa came and frankly speaking, Mama asked the Kids Council whether they would accompany them for shopping.

Before going for shopping Mama said to Evance and Sifa because they are gentlemen they should sit the back seats,  but Evance said that when Uncle Frank came he said that ladies should always be the first ones to sit, then they should say thank you to the gents.

Our way to shopping, Mama told us that we are going to choose some new material for our new rooms upstairs we all felt very excited  then Mama told us because the following week we the kids council can organize the kids  to help Madam Catherine and Mr Omoi to carry the computers and books from library and computer room so that the rooms could be vacant and for cleaning.

The next week, Mama and Papa  took the kids council to Malindi Nakumatt so that we can get some of the materials needed for our news bedrooms  like clocks, mirrors and everything.

We thanked Mama and Papa and all the Happy House family for making a difference to our lives.

That’s why we can’t stop loving our Mama.

Winning ways

Winners! Winners!  
Everyone celebrates when the Happy House kids triumph. And they certainly do rack up some impressive sporting results.
In matches against Watamu Primary our girls championed at netball with a score of 17-1.
In football, our team played well levelling with the competition with a 0-0 score.
No one at the Happy House was in any doubt that they had done well - even before they arrived home.
 Mama said: " We could hear them singing and cheering as they came down the lane."
Our children know that you can't be a winner all the time .. but  as they always put their hearts  and souls into everything they do, everyone knows when their efforts result in a win!

Visitors for Charity

Charity's grandparents are ever grateful for the home and happiness she has at the Happy House.
Her mum died shortly after she was born and she was such a poorly little baby when she came to us, so weak she couldn't cry.
Her grandparents were unable to buy milk for her and feared for her life.  When her grandfather came to visit a few weeks after she had been with us, he was amazed to see her thriving. 
He told Mama: "I gave you a dying baby and you have given me a beautiful granddaughter."
They have stayed in touch and come to see her when they can. This picture is from their visit this week.
Uncle Billy says: "After a couple of months,Charity got a well deserved visit from her blood relations .It always good for the relatives to keep abreast with the progress of their children. They were so thankful of the evident progress seen in charity and were hoping to visit her again soon."