Welcome to Working for the Children of Watamu web site
24th September 2008
Congratulations to Sue Hayward - Lancashire Woman of the Year follow to find out more
16th September 2008 - Whilst I was in Watamu came the fantastic news that The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation has given The Happy House $100,000, an amazing sum and our biggest donation by far. When Stuart Eastwood, the chairman of our partners, Nyumbani UK, called to tell me, I can tell you I just broke down and wept. Coca-Cola is a big company in Africa – well it is everywhere I suppose – and they put so much back into helping communities. On behalf of all the friends of The Happy House, I cannot thank them enough, Sue
If you can help in any way please get in contact we now need to get the furniture for the orphanage. See wish list for more ideas. How about plucking up courage and donate a chicken!
Well known British actor Kris Marshall took time out of his holiday to get acquainted with the Happy House – here is his story.
More on Sue and the Children of Watamu
I am Sue Hayward; founder of this charity. In January 2000, myself and my husband Dave visited a school in Watamu; a small coastal village in Kenya, East Africa. What we saw there were children sitting on cold stone floors in old broken buildings, counting with stones.
We just couldn’t believe that this was the year 2000, and children were being educated in these conditions.
Teachers had the nigh impossible task of trying to teach without pencils, papers or books.
On that first visit, Rose Ziro, then headmistress at the school, told us that desks and chairs were the main priority.
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During that visit we managed to have 36 desks and chairs made for 36 of the 130 children then attending the school.
We travelled about 25 miles to the nearest town to purchase exercise books paper pencils, and other items just to make a teacher's job possible.
We came home on fire! We could not leave things as they were; we just had to help these children. I believed then as I do now education is the road out of poverty for these children.
In July 2003 I established Working for the Children of Watamu as a registered charity. Trustees were appointed and we were now well and truly on our way.
By the end of 2003 each of the 130 children had a desk and chair; 
we even had 20 extras for additional recruits! We did not have to wait long. To cater for the additional children new classrooms were built and many of the old ones refurbished, and the school now caters for 530 children.
From the outset, one of our great aims was to open a Library. Due to the fantastic support of so many people this ambition was fulfilled and the Library now contains over 15.000 books.
A follow-on ambition was to provide a Computer Room and this aim has also been achieved.
We built the 5 classrooms needed for the Secondary School in March 2007
By January 2008 we will have 700 children in full time education. Ages ranging from 2 years to 16.
We are now raising funds for a happy house project and the good news is that the land has been secured and work has started. Follow to find out more and find out how you can help give orphaned children a happy home