Today Papa Dave and Brian take you to meet our chickens. Our previous stock of 22 chickens was wiped out by a disease that took its toll on poultry in the area. So we have waited before re-stocking and now have 11 hens and one cockerel as the basis of our flock. The kids like to help look after them and in this video Brian Hayward is given the task of collecting the eggs bringing out three which will go straight to our kitchen
Children living at Happy House love to sing. And every week at Kidz Club they get a chance to show off their talents - individually ad collectively. Here David, who has special needs and struggles with his speech, leads a song. There was one birthday to celebrate - Ludwin who has just turned five. She received greetings from all the family and her gifts were presented to her by our friend, Carol Shier, who is visiting from Jersey in the UK.
Next month, our first Year 4 High School students will sit their Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education - signalling the end of high school and the first steps towards careers. They are almost all young people who have joined our family on free place scholarships and whose education was in jeopardy. Some had missed long periods of schooling because of family hardship and so by being offered, by Mama and our charity, a chance to learn in such a beautiful and well resourced school was, for each one, a golden opportunity. This year they will move on to the next stage of life, whatever that maybe. We know that each one is equipped with the education and the potential to forge a successful future. Without you, our sponsors and supporters, this would not have been possible.
Introducing the last of our series of videos presented by some of the younger members of our family Hussein writes: There we have three vehicles; two matatus and one minibus. Today I made a video about the vehicles and I think you will enjoy it. Some of our uncles know how to drive cars. The cars are parked at the back of the house. At Happy House there are three drivers. The first driver is called Uncle Lucky, second is called Uncle Foleni and the third is Uncle Said. The bus was bought in 2012 and the two Nissans were both bought around that time. Mama and Papa would like to buy a newer bus because the one we have was already old when we got it and it costs a lot of money in repairs. We need it for our school. It costs a lot of money but we never lose hope. We have so many sponsors who help us. The Happy House was built in 2010-. Thank you for this chance and I wish you all the best, bye.
There were apples all round at Happy House Kidz Club. Apples are expensive in Kenya so a real treat for our children who really do love them. These were a special treat donated by visitor Carol Sohier, from Jersey, a good family friend who often visits. Thank you Auntie Carol, for such a crunch and generous treat.
It's always lovely to see an old family friend and that is exactly how our Happy House family looks about their Aunties DawnHeather and Auntie Carol Sohier DawnHeather, from Northern Ireland, has been visiting regularly since she discovered the Happy House - then newly opened. She has seen children grow and develop, some be repatriated safely back into their own families, and welcomed new arrivals. So it was a great joy for her to meet our new baby, now names James, who arrived last week - just before she did! Auntie Carol has also been visiting for many years and has seen so many changes over that time. She has got to know our kids and always looks forward to returning. She too was able to give a cuddle to our new baby, who the family, later that morning, chose to call James.
Excited to have a new baby in our Happy House family, all our children were eager to take part in giving him a name. And being a very democratic family, Mama Sue asked them to put forward their suggested names at Kidz Club so that they could vote on the one they like the most. The names for our new arrival, found as a newborn in the bush on September 3, ranged from Jesus to Elvis. But when it came to the vote the kids chose James, much to the delight of Auntie DawnHeather White. DawnHeather has been supportinG Happy House for a long, long, time and has visited many times. She is there now, on her latest trip, and so was able to be at Kidz Club to see democracy in action. It was a very special for her when James was picked. Her dad, who died earlier this year, had been called James. It was a coincidence that the family chose the same name for our baby boy but what a perfect one. If you would like to support James by becoming his sponsor please contact elizabethgomm@childrenofwatamu.net It costs £20 a month to sponsor a Happy House child and to make their future brighter.
