It’s always a great moment when all the HHFL kids hear of ‘a day at the pool’. This makes them all attentive and completely prepared for action; behaving their best to qualify for the lesson. Mr. Master-the trainer (his nickname because he’s great!) is always there on time to take us through the exercise.

This holiday (August 2010), we went as the boarding group; those who are in boarding school. We got to the place before the teacher and therefore others changed into their costumes and dove into the body-chilling water. Not everyone likes the cold water, the sight of it only….gives them butterflies in their stomachs! Cidella (the youngest kid in the project) is an example. She was just placed
at the entrance of the baby pool, which is like water in a basin, the extremely shallow end and what followed was a heart-rending scream that got everyone’s attention.

The Master came and we embarked on serious business! The stroking was hard for everyone but we were assured that with time, we’ll get the whole concept. Floating is great but once you forget that you are selfless at the time, all hell will break loose! You may end up going to the deep end, somewhere we are not qualified to reach at this time. But as time goes on, we will be the Hannehowardfund-lenana swimming gurus!!

“Wow! Let me try that”. This was everyone’s saying as they saw the Master doing his thing. We went step by step and at the end of the lesson, everyone was shivering like a chameleon on a frail twig. We all said Asante and Kwaheri to the Master as we went back home in happy satisfied glowing faces.

Swimming is one thing that we now have access to and we are entirely grateful to all those making it possible for us to have this wonderful experience. Mama Hanne and Baba Ted and all the great
supporters of the fund, we appreciate you all!! Our motto in swimming is that: ‘WE LEARN TO ACHIEVE FROM THE POSITIVE STEPS WE TAKE!!’

On the final day (Wednesday), we prepared all our belongings and departed to the church to meet other members. We gathered, prayed and left for the journey at around 5.30pm. We arrived safe and sound and thanked the Almighty God for the wonderful Journey. We dined at a certain famous school called Ofafa Jericho High School, the venue of the rally.

Our first day (Thursday) was kind of boring because weren’t familiar with the environment but as the days progressed we socialized and made new friends thus boredom vanished. All the International Lutheran Church Branches attended the rally and made it successful for all the Lutheran Youths all over Kenya.

The Second and Third days  were very encouraging and fun, because we were entertained by some local gospel artists, we donated our lunch meals to a nearby children’s home and collected the garbage around the school. We also had games and attended crusades every evening to strengthen our hearts through trials and temptation.

Saturday was the best day of all the days of the entire rally because of the sports, inspirational lectures and of course the highlight of the day- Fashion Show Program! The show comprised of a catwalk, a talent search and fun entertainment. The good news is that our very own Dismas Owino won the Most Social Youth award of the rally. It was lots of fun where we met new friends and told them about our home and they promised to visit us soon.

Sunday arrived and we were ready to return home. We attended the morning mass where the highest priest of the Lutheran Church blessed the youth and wished all of them a precious time as they await next year’s rally which will be held at the coast. We returned home safe and sound once again and received lots of love from our brothers and sisters.

On conclusion, I’ll like to thank the administration for granting us the opportunity to attend the rally and much credit goes to you and Baba Teddy because we couldn’t have attended the rally without your consent.

Thank you so much & God bless your stay and everything you’re doing to better our lives.

Lots of Kisses & Huge Hugs

The Big Kids

We decided as a family that we would spend some part of our African holiday “giving back” during our visit. We made contact with Hanne just before we left Canada and got Lucy’s coordinates. Never having done this type of volunteering before, we weren’t sure what to expect, but thought we were ready for anything! What we didn’t anticipate was how quickly and warmly we would be welcomed. From the moment Lucy greeted us out at the road and walked us in to the HHF compound we felt part of the HHF family in Lenana. And, just having met Hanne and Ted last week, we get a sense of where this comes from! We also didn’t anticipate the impact that the children would have on us – they stole our hearts! I think we all experienced levels of joy mixed with sadness – it is impossible to overlook the surroundings in which HHF is operating. The future is bleak for many adults in the slum, and the environment is full of danger and risk for children. This, for me, was tempered by the real impact that Hanne and Ted (and family) are bringing at a “grass roots” level to these children – nutrition, clean water, health, education, and love. These add up to hope and opportunities and ultimately, a future beyond the confines of the Lenana slum.

While we only volunteered at HHFL for only a week, we’ve come away with an experience that will stay with us for a lifetime. It is an experience that will spur us on to do more with HHF – having seen the real impact HHF is making in the lives of these vulnerable children. We will get back to Lenana, and until then the children and adults of HHF will be in our hearts!

Andrew, Victoria, Russell Norgaard

First and foremost I would like to thank you for all good things you have done for us in order to be in high school. I even thank you for the food and clothing that you have provided us with I am grateful for every thing and may Good bless the good work of  your hands. Here in high school I enjoy the life well, I have made friends with my class mates. I have even exploited my talent in my extra curricular activities and also academically. I promise to work to my ability to achieve my goals in life and to leave high school better than I found it. Finally I would like to thank you for the love and support you have given us may God bless you.

Yours faithful, Moses Kamau

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To: Mother Hanne

Hi mummy, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all the things you have done to me.

First thank you for paying my school fees so that I can get better education. The school I went to is so good and as for me I don’t see any thing bad there. The climate is friendly, the diet is good and the system of teaching is very high. All the things that you provide to me are very useful and good including food and clothing. From the very day that you accepted me, I started seeing a bright future ahead of me. May you continue with the same spirit and God bless you for your kindness.

Love from Sharon Jerotich

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Dear Mama Hanne and Baba Ted,

Just a note to say a big thank you for giving us such a fabulous time at your place. Back here in Kenya during the April holiday. All of us were very much pleased to be there and we extremely enjoyed ourselves.

I’ll never forget the moment we went riding bicycles and I got my toe hurt in the process. I think that is why I’ve learnt to ride bicycles now!! My toe ached for a few days, but it was worth it for the fantastic moment we all had. Thanks to Mama Hanne’s first-aid, and I think I will show her method of first aid to all the children in the project when we come home for the August holiday. The food we ate was a delicacy and I really enjoyed the moment the girls went cooking in the kitchen. Remember everyone congratulated us at the table and it felt very great to be called a good cook!!

We are on midterm break; everything is okay and in place except for the fact that we miss you a lot! We long for the moments you spent with us and we can’t wait for the day you’ll all come back in November. Otherwise we are very happy to be home, but unfortunately not all of us are here. Faith is fairing on well in her new school and I am very happy for her. She went back
to school on 16th June after their midterm.

How are Alexandra and Tommy? Pass our warm greetings to them and tell them that we are very grateful for all that they are doing to make us progress well. We also send little prince Sebastian lots of hugs and kisses from everyone,(he can imagine how many they are!!). I wish you all the best in your lives and I know that the Almighty will guide you in all you lay your hands on.
Remember that there are people back here in this land, at the far side of the world who really really love you and are grateful for all you provide for us.

Have a joyous time with your family and friends. I miss you a lot. Goodbye!!

Your loving daughter, Mercy Achieng

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Hi, how are you? Hoping against hope that you are okay and doing fine, as we all do. My main aim of writing is to communicate to you about my progress at the Informal Sector Business Institute course and how the Hanne Howard project is being run.

To start with, I will like to convey a lot of greetings from all your kids and my two twin brothers at large. On education at the ISBI centre, at the moment I completed the compulsory topics which includes; B/S management, Marketing, Life skills, Networking and Basic accounting. We started the choice courses, now am attending office management classes in the Eastland’s centre. I’m also continuing with the computer lessons which will come to completion by July 7th God willing. The course has helped me gain a lot of confidence and knowledge which I was lacking.

On the other side in the project, I’ve not been that regular, because am always coming from school very late, but am helping Teacher Duncan with Computer lessons and Co-curriculum activities. The kids are very happy and Joyful, thus this makes our work easier everyday. After the end of the Samsung Real Dreams Course, we are expected to attend a two and a half months Internship which will be closely monitored by the Center’s director.

I am looking forward to completing the long course and getting something out off it. Thanks once again for placing me in the Samsung Real Dreams Course and may God bless all your endeavors back there in Canada. We are praying to God to abundantly bless all the works you and Baba Teddy are doing to improve our lives. In conclusion, I would like to wish you and Baba Teddy a wonderful season
in Canada and always know that we are all healthy and we love you very much.

Fondly, Kennedy Otieno

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With lots of appreciation
Duncan

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When arts and crafts was removed from the Kenyan school curriculum, Alla Tkachuk, a Kenyan native, decided to form a charity called Mobile Art School in Kenya (MASK) in 2003.  It is the only organization in Kenya (and East Africa) that gives active support to the young people, especially those in rural areas and victims of conflict, in developing their creativity.  MASK is also the only such organization in Kenya that promotes peace and social justice amongst schoolchildren through the arts.

John Githiri, one of MASK’s volunteer mobile art teachers, got involved with MASK while he was a student at the University of Nairobi.  He had visited a motel where he saw a painting that captured his attention. “I asked the staff who had painted the piece and whether they could give me her contacts so that I could challenge her,” said Mr Githiri. This marked a partnership with Alla who later recruited other volunteers who teach the young artists.

John visits HHFL on Saturdays and runs workshops for our children with Duncan, HHFL’s art director. The workshops are followed by art lessons where the children work together to produce beautiful art work and hone their artistic skills. The children are divided into five classes of 25 students each.

“Think of shapes, name a shape you know, if you so wish, get a background and go ahead and paint,” John tells our kids. He uses drumbeat to “motivate the young artists to think of shapes to paint”.

The Nation, the leading Kenyan newspaper, published a wonderful article about MASK on Sunday May the 16.  They are very proud of their work and its impact on the young.

And we couldn’t be more delighted to be working with them!

Please click on the link below to read the article.

http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/Lessons%20from%20mobile%20art%20school/-/1214/918208/-/1ccgbt/-/index.html

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The kids had just polished off 15 chickens at lunch (a special treat) and were warming up for the tubs of ice cream and other goodies that were to follow the ceremony.

We acknowledged a whole bunch of the kids for their 1st term performance at school and for their activities in the project, including scouting.

Thanks to the generosity of Lilley  (who visited the project last month with her mom Lynda from Zurich) and her scout troop, we had several books on scouting to turn over to Abdallah , the assistant area commissioner for youth development and our scouts . We also handed out the scout T shirts that Lilley’s scout troop sent along.

The wonderful gifts donated by Jennifer Hardie and Matthew Hardie’s school in Dubai made great prizes. All in all, a terrific afternoon of fun and recognition.

A special asante sana to Lilley and Matthew and their mates for making this a very special occasion.

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You can fundraise in schools, through your kids’ activities, at work, through your own company or while you play – the possibilities are endless and the results are so rewarding.  Some examples of successful fundraisers HHF supporters have held in the past include:

• Holding a bake sale at school
• Hosting a swim meet for children
• Hosting a tournament
• Hosting a dinner party with friends
• Donating money via professional workshops and corporate events
• Running marathons or climbing mountains
• Asking for birthday donations in lieu of gifts
• Donating unused equipment at work such as computers

Download HHF’s new Fundraising Toolkit packed with inspiring fundraising tips, ideas and examples. Contact alexandra@hannehowardfund.org for more information – we’d love to hear from you!

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(Click to download Matthew’s school presentation entitled “Matthew’s trip to Kenya: Why I learned that we don’t need everything on earth”)

I’m Matthew Hardie, I’m from London and I’m six years old but I live in Dubai. My family has been sponsoring a little boy called Muli for the past two years. Muli and I have been writing each other letters for two years and I was really excited to meet my brother Muli.

Before we came to visit, my mum and I decided to do some fund-raising for the children. I decided to make 200 cupcakes and cookies and sell them during my school holidays in my mum’s office tower and we raised 2,940 UAE dirhams, which is 60,000 Kenyan shillings or $800 USD! Everyone in my class at school also collected things for the kids – pencils, crayons, reading books, note books, painting things and stickers. My mum’s company also raised money for the kids, in total we gave Hanne & Ted $4,400.

At first I thought that the slum where the children lived was going to be really dirty, not safe and that the children would have no beds and there would be no buildings around it and that all the children would be sad because they had no mums and dads and that made me feel bad. When I arrived I was extremely surprised because they were very happy, the children who live at HHF have a really nice room with beds and they have schools. And as soon as we arrived I was astonished. And also extremely excited, and as soon as I hopped out of the car I ran to go and find Muli but he was right in front of my car door!

Muli showed me his bedroom and he only had one toy. His toy was a big dolly with two pony tails, that he sleeps with. The next thing we did was we went out to play. I was pulling a rope and the other children were trying to catch it. And I sat in a wheelbarrow and they pushed me around! Afterwards a bell got rung and me and Muli stood in front of the whole HHF and they all sang for us for about one hour. And I handed out two footballs, one to Muli and another to Alice. And then we went to go have some lunch and I had a hamburger and Muli had half a chicken and Esther and Stephen had half a chicken. And Hanne was like: “can you eat all this?” and they said “sure!” and they ate everything on their plate but I left half of my hamburger and some chips and they asked if they could take it home and Hanne said yes so they wrapped it up and took it back to HHF and Muli shared it with his friend Little Brian. Brian looks like he is only 8 years old but he is actually 12.

At HHF we saw 125 children. Some had no mums and dads and Hanne found them and she helped them and she made a project for them to live in, and she got some helpers to help her and then it just appeared like that and they got some beds. Some of the kids have no mums and dads because they died. In the hostel they sleep all together and their beds are all in one row and they are all friends together and they never argue. In the day time when the kids wake up in the morning they play. Then they go to school, only for one or two hours. Then they come back to Hanne Howard Fund and they play because they always play. Then they have lunch and then they play again then they have dinner then they play again then they jump in the water to have a bath then they go to bed.

The next day I went back to HHF and I heard a dog howling on the way and then we got there and we arrived at HHF and we got out of the car and the same thing happened – Muli was in front of my car door! Me and Muli went to go play. And then when I guessed play was nearly over I went to go ask Hanne if I could ring the bell and she said yes. When the scouts came out I rang the bell and somebody wouldn’t stop playing so I rang the bell in their ear and said, “can you hear that play is over?” then they all came and they sang a very long song for us. And then the scouts came on stage on the red dirt and I helped them put up the stage. They did a dance and they asked me and mum and Alexandra and Sebastian to do a dance with them, and we did. And when it finished the scouts were all in a line and they asked me, Alexandra, Sebastian, my mum, Ted and Hanne if we could inspect the scouts. And we inspected them.

When we went to Hanne Howard Fund I felt quite happy because it looks like that and they seem very happy. They seemed to have forgotten about their mums and dads. It changed my life because they told me that you don’t need anything. Things like games and chocolate, you don’t need them. They are only for treats. Because they barely had anything.

I would LOVE to go back.

Bye children!

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Written by Patrick Wainaina, volunteer computer tutor

My name is Patrick Wainaina and I was born on May 1st, 1981. I grew up in Dandora slum, Kenya. My mum gave birth to me when she was seventeen.

I grew up with my grandmother and her five daughters. My mum was the eldest and she had already secured a job as a house girl in Parklands. She was working for a German family who also assisted in paying my school fees.

I remember back in 1990 when my mum started falling sick and she was in and out of hospital frequently. I used to like my mum so much for so many reasons. She used to listen to me and gave me advice that up to now I find useful in my life. For instance she asked me to treat all the ladies with respect and if I was chosen by one I should stand up and be a man.

I thought I was too young for that kind of advice then but now I do appreciate it because I already have a girlfriend (Rose) and we are getting married next year in 2011.

I still recall 13th June 1991 when my mum passed away. We were just the two of us at home and since she was bedridden I served her breakfast on bed. I gained enough courage to ask her the condition of her health and up to now I still recall the final words my mum told me. She asked me not to indulge myself in my premarital sex otherwise I would end up like her. She told me that she was suffering from a deadly disease called HIV/AIDS. She sent me to bring her a glass of water and when I came back my mum was no more.

My aunts were in secondary and colleges and so my grandmother could not afford to pay for my school fees and in 1994 she took me to St. Nicholas Children’s Home in Karen. I completed my High School in 2001 and got a mean grade of B- and later joined Daystar University. I studied Computer Science.

The best lesson I have learned in life is to give back to society. I am currently working at St. Nicholas primary school as a computer tutor. St Nicholas is where I lived for several years and where over 20 of the HHFL kids go to school. I am also working as a volunteer at HHFL helping them to learn the computer.

I would like to thank St. Nicholas, HHFL, Church of Apostles and all the donors who support St. Nicholas and HHFL.

Thank you so much for putting a smile on the faces of the needy children in Kenya. May God Bless You all.

Patrick Wainaina
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