Watoto Trust newsletter December 2006

Categories: Diary

The best news this month is that the children have moved into their new home! Having lived in cramped and dingy conditions for so long, they are now getting used to the novelty of having space and light, not to mention the luxury of a bed and desk of their own. The rain water tanks filled up on the first day that the roof gutters were attached due to 100mm (yes, 4 inches!!) of rainfall!! Bruce reports big happy grins all round when he visited them last! It seems that the move happened just in the nick of time, as the old house has since been flooded because of the heavy rain. Photos to follow with the next newsletter.

Thanks to all who have been busy collecting books for the orphans. John Brown of Holmesdale Infant Community School in Surrey is very keen to support Watoto Trust through links with his pupils and parents. He kindly organized a Christmas appeal for the children to donate a book and has had an excellent response. We now need to build a very large shelf to house them all. In fact, so many books have been accumulated that we feel we should share them amongst some of the schools in the area. Books are in such short supply throughout the rural schools out here and no doubt will be treated like gold, with awe and reverence.

More fantastic news is the tremendous success of the ball organized by Watoto Trust UK. A substantial amount of money was raised collectively from the ball tickets, raffle and auction. This will allow the children here to receive a Secondary education that previously would have been denied them through lack of financing. What better gift can we give a young person than education? Bruce is also considering the possibility of helping the other children in the vicinity of the Orphanage as we run the risk of alienating ourselves when the orphans are seen to get much more than their neighbours. The children are looking forward to seeing the Green family, who are visiting later this month.

Nearly all of the Christmas cards were sold at the Kenana Knitters craft fair and a total of Ksh 5,000 was raised. Thanks to Sue Conroy, who made her own cards and kindly donated 20 shillings for every card sold.

All in all, a lovely way to end a hugely successful year. No doubt the children must think that all their Christmases have come at once.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and all best wishes for 2007.

Thank you all for your continuing support; keep up the good work one and all!