Leading by example

Our inspirational Mama Sue leads by example.

Whether it is those employed by Happy House, kids or their relatives she plays an active role in their lives.

She is tireless in her efforts to give those in her care the best so that they can be the best.

And when they slip back, she wants to know why.

She scrutinises every exam result and the performance of our teachers. Children who do not perform well, are pulled up and encouraged and know that only hard work brings rewards. 

Teachers too know that they must always give their best, Young lives depend on it.

The few under-achievers on scholarship or those who are Happy House kids who have gone to live home with relatives but are coming into school, were called in with their guardians yesterday and left in no doubt that they must do better.

Mama explains to guardians they have a duty to make sure a child does their homework and ensure they attend the two weeks free tuition in the holidays.  This is their chance to consolidate and improve.

Mama says the school is a level playing field.   Kids from the poorest backgrounds learn happily alongside those whose parents can afford to pay school fees, if they refuse to pull up their socks and don't want to learn, then Happy House is not the place for them.

Mama is, rightly, uncompromising.

She is not asking them to be academic superstars, just to work hard and get the best results they can.

Food is fuel

Whilst talking to the kids Mama asked about life at home an found some children were coming in to school without having any breakfast.

And for a growing kid, food is fuel. 

So as not to single them out, she has introduced tea and bread for all so that none is working on an empty stomach.

The kids also have a a hearty and healthy lunch.
She also found that some were walking miles to come school because they didn't have the few shillings needed for transport, so she has put an end to that by arranging for them to be given their fare each day.
"Ten bob is nothing, but it is everything if you don't have it," she said.

Kits from Clifton Rangers and Net from Natasha

 With football, netball and volleyball teams it is brilliant to have enough kits for our sporting kids
Happy House School is now better off by three football kits very kindly donated by Blackpool's Clifton Rangers.
The kits, surplus to club requirements, were given to Auntie Libby to bring out with her.
With the kits we already have this means we have enough for all our teams – boys and girls.
Kits that have been in use for a long time and are now well past their best, but still usable, will be given to youth football groups in the community.

Thank you Darren and everyone at Clifton Rangers, our kids seem to grow an inch taller when they put on a football kit, 

Thanks to those of you who donated football boots for our older kids too.

In the net

Natasha Wenman who came out to Happy House last year with her dad, Russell, as volunteers heard our volleyball net was getting very shabby and very kindly sent Libby a new one to bring out with her.
Sports instructor Mr Steve and Baraka were caught in the net for our picture!

Thank you Natasha, come back soon.

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.