Birthday is a piece of cake and calling in to kidz club

There was an impromptu party for our kindergarten kids when a friend called to celebrate his birthday with them.

Guri, who works in international marketing at Garoda Resort, Watamu, is a friend of Daniela Bonassi who is in Peninah's sponsor family.

Guri said that on previous visits, the Happy House had captured his heart and he wanted to share his 28th birthday with the kids.

He brought a lovely cake which Peninah helped to cut, and each child enjoyed a piece after they had sung Happy Birthday to Guri.

Guri came with another friend Simone, who took pictures to capture the special moments.

Thank you Guri for coming to see us, we look forward to seeing you again soon and Happy Birthday.

Welcome to our Happy House

There were lots of visitors at KIdz Club yesterday. 

Auntie DawnHeather White and Auntie Linda Newman came along for the second week of their current stay in Watamu and brought with them Linda's friends Joan and Teresa.

More of our friends from Italy came too - Max Zeuli, who with his wife Francesa, is in Abu's sponsor family and Andrea Coppola whose parents sponsor Abu's sister, Sudi.

The kids did lots of singing for our guests,  and Samson stepped into the role of Joseph with a fantastic performance of Any Dream Will Do, backed by a chorus of kids.

It was a lovely way to ring to an end a very busy day.

Mama's magic unites tragic family

The lives of young mum Fatuma and her four children have,  been transformed thanks to Mama Sue and her Happy House.

Fatuma now has a job, a home and, most important of all, her four children living with her..

The family was separated in 2015 when Sanita,now 12, Salama,8,, Amina,7, and Steve ,4,were brought into our care because she was unable to provide for them.

The family was living in an old chicken coop, sleeping on cardboard.

Her husband, who had been the breadwinner of the family, died after a dog bite resulted in serious complications.

He was buried in his ancestral homeland but as his wife had not married with a dowry she and her children were sent away.

Since that time she had been struggling, depending on help from anyone who would provide it.
This was far from enough and all the family were suffering. The kids had not been to school and Sanita was often left to look after her younger siblings whilst her mum was out looking for work.

2015

When the children joined our family,  it was a huge wrench for them and Fatuma was able to see her kids whilst trying to rebuild her life and they went home on short visits in the holidays   even if it meant going back to the most basic of living.

After seeing them together at home, Mama.offered Fatuma work as a cleaner.
And again, after hearing how she was getting up at the crack of dawn, to walk a long distance to work,,Mama stepped in to help.
She helped her to get the deposit on a room for her and her children a short distance away in Timboni..

She has given them mattresses to sleep on and a few other bits to make their room a home.

The family are now all together again, the children, who are sponsored, are coming in to school every day and their mum is the jolliest, most industrious cleaner we have ever had.

As she speaks very little English, Sanita is teaching her.
She is also teaching her mum to read and write.

Mama says it took very little to make this family complete, but for Fatuma and the kids it is everything..

They are the happiest little family unit, united in love, by love

Fatuma says she will never be able to thank Mama enough for what she has done  for them,  but for Mama the reward is seeing them reunited. 
Yet another illustration of our Happy House magic at work.

Uncle Ronnie returns and Results review

 There  was great excitement on Saturday when Uncle Ronnie came to visit,
Ronald, who left his job as our assistant social worker a couple of months ago when his uncle offered to fund his degree studies at university, popped in to say hello.
Ronnie is really missing everyone at Happy House as much as we are missing him.
He had a long chat with Mama, Papa, Uncle Billy and Auntie Libz and spent lots of time catching up with his little friends and meeting the kids who have come to us since he left.
Ronnie is working hard at his studies aiming to complete his degree in two years, and says his experience with our family has helped him immensely.
It was lovely to see you Ronnie, come back and visit again soon.

Results review

Many of you who sponsor our kids will already have received your child's most recent exam results.
Auntie Velma and Auntie Jessica are busy sending them out.
And you will know from the marks that classes in Happy House School are highly competitive - and subject marks mean much more than their position in class.
Mama goes through marks and reports with all the Happy House kids, those who have now been reunited with relatives but who are still coming in to school and with the 67 scholarship kids.
She talks with each one individually, motivating and encouraging them just as any mum with her child.
It's a big job but one that she and Uncle Billy enjoy. It is so very important to boost confidence and to inspire.

New skill clicks into place by Rukia

 Mama is alwaus keen for our kids to learn new skills and learn much more than is standard on the Kenya curriculum.

Volunteer Gussy Bunbury has been giving the kids an introduction to photography, and how they love it. As Rukia tells us:

Hi, my name is Rukia and I am 11 years old, I am in class 6 at Happy House School.

First I didn’t know how to use a camera ut nowb Aunty Gussy has come and she has taught me a lot.

She took us out of the classroom and divided us into 4 main groups. To each group she gave a camera.

Then later she showed us where to click if  we wanted to take a photograph.

 We did as she said and tried to click the button, I took  many photos with my friends and many more things that I wished to photograph. 

I am really happy because until thenI never knew how to use the camera but practice makes perfect.

 Later she had a look at all the photos we had taken and she said that they were all good.

Thank you Aunty Gussy

Undercover gang and thanks to Italian friends

Meet the undercover kids!
Auntie Libby had lots of fun taking this picture of some of our kids with their arms full of undies.
The girls ganged up, in fits of giggles, trying to boys to hold the pink and frilly ones, but they stood firm and were having none of it..
Knickers, underpants and socks were all donated by members of St Annes Inner Wheel Club who added them to their shopping lists at Christmas.
They had given them to Auntie Libby to bring out with her and of course we like to make sure that they arrived along with some of the happy recipients.
The undies have been added to our store and will be handed out as and when they are needed.
Thank you to all the ladies who donated.
Picture: Back row (from left): Natasha, Neema and Harrison; front row: Lucky, Abu and Rose.

Thank you friends from Italy

Many thanks to our friends from Italy who raised 2000 euro for Happy House with a fundraising dinner organised by Laura Astori and Daniela Bonassi in Rovato.

They received help and support from another good friend Susanna Gregorio who had the pleasure of handing over the proceeds to Mama and Papa this week.

Our thanks to everyone who helped and supported the event in any way.

You are helping Happy House to change more children's lives.

Injured mum comes to visit

 A single mum released from hospital after being treated for serious injuries came straight to Happy House to be reunited with her children.
Alphan and Esther were brought to Happy House a month ago after their mum was involved in a road accident in Watamu having left them in their one room home whilst she went to work with a neighbour to mind them.
She was on the back of a motorbike taxi when it was in collison with a car and she was thrown off.
When she came to see them she brought her x-rays for Mama which show a fractured pelvis, which she was told to go home and rest while it healed.
Without the means to pay here,. there is no treatment.
Mama was able to give her some advice, a walking stick and paracetamol to give her some relief from pain.
She was thrilled to see her kids happy and well cared for in their temporary home.
It was obvious that she cares very deeply for Esther, five, and Alphan, four.
The children have a loving home at Happy House for as long as they need it and their mum can visit whenever she is able to.until they can all be together again.

Happy to know you

Andrea Manders is looking forward to getting to know her new sponsor child -  Dr Danwata Scholarship student, Ann Joseph.
When Andrea had a big birthday, she asked for donations to Happy House instead of gifts.
Andrea says: "
This is Ann - she is my new Happy House scholarship pupil. 
When I was 50 family and friends kindly donated money which was used to sponsor a girl through 4 years of school, that girl was Diana. 
Diana obtained her Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in December. Due to family circumstances Diana has now moved away and no longer attends the school.
 Ann is 14 years old and in her last year of primary school, so working towards her KCPE. I look forward to hearing about Ann's progress "
We have 60 young people, from abject poverty, who have free places in our school, Most of them do not yet have sponsors. £20 a month will help us to provide all they need: tuition, uniform, shoes, sports kit, books, meals and medicine (when needed).
Please email: elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net 
Can YOU change a life, please?