School report: Back in class again

Class 7 get to work

 It's back to school with a flourish, as school manager, Madam Rose, tells us in our weekly report from the Happy House School:

The term has started on a high note as all the pupils arrived to school in time and they were very happy after their break.

They were all eager and ready to learn and to sharpen their minds to make their futures bright.

This was evident in their faces as their first lessons go underway with great enthusiasm.

Class 6 in class

We look forward to a successful term and hope the pupils will enjoy this second term.

A visit to grandma

The school holidays have come to an end and our children are returning to class.
For some the holidays have included a night or two away from the Happy House when they have been to visit relatives.
It is important to maintain contact with family members, where is it safe to do so, and Uncle Billy ensures that everything is in place for any child going on a visit.
A grandmum who could not provide on a full-time basis  enjoys being able to have a grandchild or grandchildren home on short visit.
Rukia is pictured with her grandmother on the day she arrived to collect her to take her back to her home in Malindi.

Super seaside Saturday

It was a happy Saturday for friends of the Happy House on the Fylde coast.
The Sewing Sanctuary, Thornton, hosted a Dress a Boy Around the World event when anyone who wanted to have a go a making a pair of shorts for a little boy in the impoverished world was invited to pop in during the day.
Elizabeth Gomm went along to tell them about our family and to say thank you for the 20 pairs of shorts that will go to our children. We have already received beautiful dresses from their Dress A Girl event in February.
We are limited to the amount we can take, but are so grateful to everyone who gave up their free time to go along and know that the lovely items they made will bring joy to every needy child who receives them.
It was a lovely, friendly event for all ages with Jessica Woolley providing tuition for absolute beginners - including Phil Wolstencroft and Sean Holman who were delighted with their finished results.
Sean's daughter, Megan Holman, 12, a pupil at St Mary's School, is junior ambassador for the Sewing Sanctuary and she made three pairs of shorts during the day and little Emma O'Donnell, there with her mum Joanne, also had fun modelling the shorts they made!
Andrea Manders, who is in Natasha's family, is a keen needlewoman and was happy to give assistance where it was needed.
Enthusiastic owner of the  Sewing Sanctuary and Grace & Favour fabric shop,  both at Marsh Mill Village, Caroline Bramhall, who does much forlocal charities,  is now hoping to do more for our Happy House family by fundraising and raising awareness, too.
Thank you Caroline for your kindness to our kids.
                                                                                     Masonic Giving Day

 Earlier in the day Elizabeth was at the first Giving Day held by North Fylde Group of Freemasons at the Masonic Hall, Cleveleys.
The event was attended by representatives of the 27 lodges in the group, plus guests, and representatives of  some of the 38 charities who had received donations from them.
The Giving Day was to celebrate the huge contribution made to local charities by the Masons which totalled more than £31,000 in the last year and to give the charities an opportunity to  showcase their causes.
The  Happy House  was delighted to have  received £250 from Normoss Round Table Lodge in March.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Wyre , Councillor John Hodgkinson and his wife, Linda, visited every charity stand to hear about their work, and were very touched by the magic worked on our family by Mama and the Happy House..
"It was a wonderful event ," said Elizabeth "the Masons do so much for charities. It was a privilege to be there and to be able to tell such an interested audience a little about our family.
"It was also a chance to say a personal thank you from the Happy House to Normoss Round Table Lodge and to make other Lodges aware of our charity, which is entirely funded by the generosity of others,."
*Elizabeth is pictured with Peter Gunn of  immediate past Worshipful Master of Normoss Round Table Lodge and his wife,  Joanne.

Our donkey - by Evans

Evans brushing Mary.

Our donkeys were a very welcome addition to our family when they were given to Mama as a gift. Today our junior blogger, Evans, tells you more about them.

I am writing a blog about donkeys. We very lucky that our Happy House Family is a lovely family.

Last year,  one of the visitors who came at the Happy House she promised mama a present during the Christmas.

When the Christmas came the visitor brought the young donkeys.

When  we saw the donkeys we were excited and mama was excited, too,  because it was her present we promised her we will take care of them and then we were told  we will  give them nice names. The female is called Mary and the male is called Joseph.

Christmas gift for Mama

We are very happy because the small babies will ride on them. 

We are training them so that they can not hurt the young children and they are good. 

We love our donkeys so much.

Lots of love from

Evans Hamisi

Sand, sea and fun

 With the school holidays coming to an end, everyone enjoyed a trip to the beach.
It was held just before volunteer, Auntie Fab, set off for the next stage of her African adventure so that she and her boyfriend could enjoy the fun.
With plenty of adults on hand, our staff teachers and other volunteers Auntie Mckenzie and Auntie Coral to supervise, the kids had a great time splashing in the surf and building castles in the sand.
And our young beachcombers came up with some interesting finds, as shown here by Linus and Oscar.
When it was time for the walk home, it was some very tired little people who arrived back at the Happy House.
Tired, but very happy too.

African safari in Blackpool

 African safari is a topic this half term for Year 5 children at Blackpool's Boundary Primary School, Grange Park,   so teacher Kathryn Dodgson asked Elizabeth Gomm go in to tell them about our Happy House and the lives of children in Kenya.

After introducing them to Mama, Papa and  family with a video, she showed them some of the local area and explained how hard life can be for people in a country where so many live in poverty.

In two sessions with both classes in Year 4 and Year 5, the children had lots of questions to ask and were really touched by the extreme hardship our children have come from, and thrilled to see they now have a lovely home with lots of brothers and sisters and a nice school.

They also enjoyed trying out some of the everyday Kenyan items Libby took along.

By the time she left, she was Auntie Libby at Boundary too!

Fond farewell to Auntie Fab

It's always sad when a friend has to go home, and everyone was sorry to say goodbye to Auntie Fab.

Fabiola Matute , from Mexico, has been volunteering with our family for three months, most of it alongside her best friend Aleka Quintana who left a couple of weeks ago.

They have made such a difference in their time with us, doing much to help in the baby banda and in school.

Baby Athman has come on leaps and bounds thanks to their intensive efforts and exercising.

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Fab and Ally donated 1220,000 Kenya Shillings to the Happy House and Mama decided to spend it on tiling the kitchen surfaces which will make them much easier to keep clean and chose the tiles so that Fab could see them before she left to go on to Rwanda with her boyfriend,  Alejandro Alex who had flown into Kenya to join her.

Everyone gathered to say goodbye, and to enjoy some delicious ice cream.

Thank you Fab and Ally for being such wonderful volunteers and friends. We'll miss you!