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Contact Details
Sue Hayward
Castlemere Hotel
13 Shaftesbury Avenue
North Shore
Blackpool FY2 9QQ
Tel & Fax (0044) 01253 352430
Reg. Charity No.1098731
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Latest News:
Tenti Kalama has unfortunately died from malaria.
In memory of Zia Rina message from Alessia Pautasso
Nyumbani UK to support The Happy House
Kids Need Text Books
News February 2008
Today is Wednesday the 20th of February, Dave & I have been in Watamu since the begining of January. All is very quiet and peaceful here. It is such a shame so many holidays have been cancelled to this area where the only problem we are having is unemployment due to lack of
tourists.
Quite a few people who support the charity, either by sponsoring children or fund raising throughout the year are here at Turtle bay Beach Club, I am so grateful to them all for being here and their efforts throughout the year.
Dave & are delighted to have met Chris & Helie Franklin. They had been in contact with us before we left the UK and we met up with them last week at Turtle bay Beach Club. Chris has taken lots of photographs and video and intends to make us a new promotional DVD, and to overhaul this website. Helie is very interested in our Happy House Project and is going to help us with a business plan and fundraising ideas. They have also sponsored one of our children, made a substantial donation towards the Happy House and bought two bicycles. Thank you both so very much.
People have asked me if this trouble has changed our plans to move here permanently. In fact it has made us even more determined as more children are going to need our help.
The Sponsored Child Scheme has always been the financial underpinning of the school
but we also need the fees from the other parents to balance the books. Teachers and bills need to be paid. Food has to be purchased for breakfasts and lunches. As this situation of unemployment continues I can see us encountering financial difficulties in the not too distant future.
We have made the initial start on the Happy House land. The 4 acres has now been fenced off, and some of the land cleared. We are arranging for plans to be drawn and passed. I am sorry that I am unable to publish pictures of the work at the moment, It is due to the fact that I am connecting to a wireless network and it seems to break all the pictures down into text. I will do it when I return to the UK.
I intend to start a children clothes collection, from babies to 10 year olds. Clothing the Happy House kids will be a big item. I know you all have beautiful children clothes that you don’t know what do with, well now you do!! Clothes can be sent to me in the UK, or anyone that is intending to visit Turtle Bay Beach Club can you take extra items with you? Rose, who is a Trustee of the Charity and works in the Computer Room at school will be only too pleased to collect them. Arrangements can be made for you to visit school and take the items with you. We are also looking for educational toys, flash cards, colours shapes. Anything that has helped your children to learn will help ours. sue@childrenofwatamu.net
I am delighted that I do have some good news to start 2008. 2007 was the first year we had a Class 8 in the Primary School, therefore the first time we could register with the Kenyan Education Authorities. Due to this registration the children were able to take the National Exam to move from Primary to Secondary education. 31 children took the exam and we are so thrilled that 30 passed. Now I heard you all go AAH! For the one boy who only achieved 180 marks and not the 250 needed for a pass. I promised the kids a party for all those who passed the exam, so how many were at the party? Yes, you guessed it, all 31!