History and Tour of Holly House

Holly House (girls' dorm)

In 2003, Fanuel (the school director) rented out two rooms to house several GPS students that had recently been left homeless without guardians.  Later, he was able to rent a larger house to accommodate more orphans.  The orphanage was named “Holly House” after Holly, a sponsor and Galilee supporter who had been particularly instrumental in providing beds, chairs, utensils, and other basic supplies needed to establish the children’s home. 

The original Holly House was quickly outgrown due to the large number of children in dire need of a home, but in 2006 the school was able to lease a building on a property adjacent to GPS.  In February, 2006, “Holly’s Heart” orphanage was opened to house the boys under the school’s care, while Holly House became an orphanage for the girls. Later a second Holly’s Heart orphanage (“Holly’s Heart II”) was opened to accommodate more boys.  Residents of the orphanages live under the care of loving houseparents who provide stability, direction, and nurturing.

Today, the Holly House and Holly’s Heart orphanages provide shelter for approximately 100 children.  Most of these children are orphans, often from the AIDS epidemic that has swept Kenya, or have one remaining parent who is unable to provide basic necessities for them.  Some of the residents are displaced refugees – the victims or war, drought, or violence.  A few of the children have sadly been abandoned by their destitute families.  Many of the residents of the orphanages are street children that Fanuel heard about, located, and brought to live at Holly House so that they could receive an education.  There are also a few students who live far away from WHS and board at the Holly House orphanages in order to obtain a secondary education (these boarders are not part of the sponsorship program). 

Thank you to Katja, one of our sponsors who took these photos on her recent trip to the GPS/WHS campus!

Holly's Heart I (boys' dorm)

Holly's Heart II (boys' dorm)

Matron of Holly House

Large dorm room in Holly's Heart II.  These children sleep in bunk beds, 2 to 3 beds high.  They keep their belongings safe in trunks.

Dorm room in Holly House. 

Wash room in Holly House.  It serves as both a squat toilet and a shower.

Courtyard of Holly House.  The rooms are arranged around this courtyard which has a large screen over the top. 

Laundry drying on top of Holly House.

View of the roof tops of Holly's Heart I and Holly House.  The water barrel on the roof of Holly House supplies water for the children's homes.

~Submitted by Brooke.

Holly House Christmas Dinner

 

We have received photos from Fanuel (the school director) of Christmas dinner at the Holly House orphanages.  Thanks to our generous sponsors and donors, we were able to raise enough money to fully fund a wonderful Christmas dinner for the children. 

This dinner is a once-a-year treat for the children living at Holly House, and included chicken and rice, soda pop, lollipops, and other treats.  As can be seen from the pictures, the children had a wonderful time. 

Thank you all for making this special Christmas meal happen for the children in the Holly House orphanages!

 

  

~submitted by Brooke

Friday's Featured Child - Martin

 

Meet Martin!
Martin lives at Holly House and attends WHS in form 1.  He is 16 and his birthday is coming up on November 11.  Martin's father is a farmer and the family is so poor that it became necessary for Martin to move into HH to continue his high school education.  He scored 379 on the KCPE exam.  Martin enjoys reading books and playing football.  He would like to be a doctor.

Sponsorship fees for a Holly House student is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15/mo for cosponsorship. Can you reach out to help Martin by becoming his sponsor or cosponsor?   You would make a tremendous difference in his life!  


For more information, email info@plantabook.org.

Friday's Featured Child - Math and Science Student

 

Meet Ann!  Ann is 12 years old and in standard 7.  Her birthday is August 11.  Ann's father tries to find work as a casual laborer and her mother is unemployed.  Due to the extreme poverty of this family, they could not properly care for Ann and therefore she came to live at Holly House where she could have food, shelter and an education.  Ann enjoys reading story books.  Her best subjects are math and science and she dreams of being a doctor someday. HH sponsorship is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15 for co-sponsorship.  Can you be Ann's sponsor and friend?  Please email info@plantabook.org for more information.

Holly House Gets a Fresh Coat of Paint!

Thanks to a friend of one of Galilee's long time supporters, Holly, students living at Holly House are now enjoying freshly painted rooms!  Just look at these before and after pictures and you will appreciate what a gift this really is for these students!

Dirty and dingy walls surrounded the students.

The courtyard also had cracked and peeling paint.

So the painters went to work!

What a surprise was in store for our students!

Clean, bright walls!

What an uplifting improvement!

Even the courtyard looks so much better!

 Many thanks to this donor who provided such cheer through this fresh paint!

Friday's Featured Children - Loves to Read!

Meet Martin!

Martin lives at Holly House and attends WHS in form 1.  He is 16 and his birthday is November 11.  Martin's father is a farmer and the family is so poor that it became necessary for Martin to move into HH to continue his high school education.  He scored 379 on the KCPE exam, a very good score.  Martin enjoys reading books and playing football.  He would like to be a doctor.  Can you reach out to help Martin by becoming his sponsor or cosponsor?

Visit www.plantabook.org's Child Sponsorship - HH page for more information.

Christmas is Coming to Holly House

Every year around this time I sit and reflect on our children at Holly House.  This is their home.  They have no other place to go and their dorm-mates are their "family."  As I anticipate the shopping we'll do for our friends and family, the meals we'll prepare, trees we'll decorate and laughter that will ring through our houses, I think about what a difference just one special meal would make to the Holly House children.  Christmas dinner:  warm beef stew, rice, a special treat of ice cream and soda pop.  So simple to us, so special to them.

So today my heart is bursting with joy because our sponsors have come forward to make a special meal possible for these kids!  We had set a goal of raising $510 to provide Christmas dinner to approximately 100 children -- and we reached it!  Thank you, thank you, for your generosity.  I know we will all enjoy our Christmas dinners a little more, knowing these dear children are also smiling through a Christmas meal.

Scenes from last year's HH Christmas Dinner:

~ Brenda

Holly House Orphanage

Please meet some of the children of Holly House orphanage.  These children are there because there is no where else for them to go.  Some of them are orphans, while some have only one parent who is unable to provide basic necessities for them.  Some of them are displaced refugees, victims of war, drought, or post-election violence.  Many of the children were discovered living on the streets and brought to Holly House by Fanuel, the school director, so they could receive an education and have shelter and food.  Holly House orphanages (or children's homes) are located on the campus with Galilee Primary School and Waddington High School. Coming here to live provides these children with hope in otherwise tragic lives. Holly House sponsorship fees are $30/month for full sponsorship or $15/month for co-sponsorship which covers three meals a day, shelter and schooling.  Please consider sponsoring one of these dear children.  For more information email info@nairobikids.org


Meet Faith N. - HHB314

Faith is 13 years old and in standard 7A.  Her birthday is June 6.  Faith has had a very rough life.  Her father died when she was very young and her mother, due to extreme poverty, abandoned Faith.  The school director at Galilee Primary School offered her food and shelter at Holly House orphanage.  Faith is an average student who wants to be a teacher someday.  Her best subject is science.  She enjoys skipping rope and dancing.  Faith would really benefit from the kindness of a sponsor.  Please consider sponsoring her -- a full sponsorship is $30/mo or a co-sponsor is $15/mo.

Meet Florence - HHB315

Florence is 8 years old and in standard 2B.  Her birthday is unknown.  Florence is an orphan, both of her parents died.   Therefore, the director of Galilee Primary School offered her shelter and food at Holly House orphanage.  Florence enjoys jumping rope and her best subject is math.   HH   sponsorship is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15 for co-sponsorship.  Can you be Florence's sponsor and friend?

Meet Wilberforce - HHB316 -Thanks to my new sponsor!

Wilberforce is 13 years old and in standard 7.   His birthday is unknown.  Wilberforce's mother's situation is not known.  She disappeared and no one heard from her again.  His father was upset and unable to continue caring for the boys so left the boys to life on the street.  The Galilee Primary School director, Fanuel, was so moved by their situation that he rescued them and offered Wilberforce and his brother shelter at Holly House.   He enjoys football and social studies.  Someday he would like to be an engineer.  HH sponsorship is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15 for co-sponsorship.  Can you be Wilberforce's sponsor and friend?

Meet Emmanuel - HHB317 -  Thanks to my new sponsor!

Emmanuel is 15 years old and in standard 6.   His birthday is unknown.  Emmanuel's mother's situation is not known.  She disappeared and no one heard from her again.  His father was upset and unable to continue caring for the boys so left the boys to life on the street.  The Galilee Primary School director, Fanuel, was so moved by their situation that he rescued them and offered Emmanuel and his brother shelter at Holly House.   He enjoys football and social studies.  Someday he would like to be an engineer.  HH sponsorship is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15 for co-sponsorship.  Can you help Emmanuel?

Meet Ann K - HHB318

Ann is 11 years old and in standard 6A.  Her birthday is August 11.  Ann's father tries to find work as a casual laborer and her mother is unemployed.  Due to the extreme poverty of this family, they could not properly care for Ann and therefore she came to live at Holly House where she could have food, shelter and an education.  Ann enjoys reading story books.  Her best subjects are math and science and she dreams of being a doctor someday. HH sponsorship is $30/mo for full sponsorship or $15 for co-sponsorship.  Can you be Ann's sponsor and friend?

October 5 Update - Wilberforce and Emmanuel have been sponsored!  Please help us find sponsors for these other deserving HH children.

We've Come a Long Way Part 2

Galilee has changed a lot since Fanuel wrote that letter back in 2003. At the time we had only a handful of sponsor.   And thanks to the sponsors and other caring individuals, we have made many of the dreams, which Fanuel spoke about, come true.

Eventually we raised the money to purchase several plots of land and replace most of dangerous tin buildings with brick, so the children would no longer be injured while attending school, nor would they get rained on while trying to study. We also built Waddington High School and equipped it with textbooks, desks, and a fully functional lab. The small school that just 7 years ago had only 186 students now has over 1400. It goes from Baby class all the way through the completion of High School. With 41 paid teachers, the school no longer has to rely on volunteers.

In 2007 we brought both a potable water well and electricity to the school. Previously Fanuel had to purchase water and transport it for all the children. Now not only does the new well hydrate all the children, but also provides a small income to help with the cost of overhead. The newly wired electricity runs both the well and keeps the kids safer, as now they don’t run the risk of fires from kerosene lamps.

We have also expanded Holly House dramatically. We now rent two buildings and raised enough money to add a permanent third building. Now the orphans and destitute children of the Soweto Slums will always have a home and an education at Galilee. Today we have 130 children who call Holly House home.

And thanks to Feed the Children, every child at Galilee Primary School gets a hot meal every day. We no longer have students going days without food or giving up their meal so their siblings can eat. For many of our students this is the only meal they will get in a day.

Just a few months ago we were able to finish the fundraising to build a brand new kitchen.  Now the school has the room to store the food from Feed the Children and the students are no longer forced to stand in smoke as they wait for their lunch.

All of these things happened because people all over the world cared enough to give and donate time to Galilee Primary School and Waddington High School. They also told friends, neighbors and family members about our remarkable organization. Galilee, Holly House and WHS would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for these amazing people. It truly was built with love and $1 at a time.


We have made some wonderful things happen at Galilee and WHS, but we aren’t done yet.


• The Kenyan Health Department has informed the school that more toilets need to be built or they will shut down the school.  Feed the Children has offered to build 6 more toilets if we purchase the land.  Currently we need $1575 in order to purchase the land.

• In order to go on to further education or get jobs other than menial jobs, every form 4 student must take the KCSE at the cost of approximately $109 per student. Many of the student’s families make less than $1 per day, making paying for these exams nearly impossible.


• We still have some of those dangerous tin buildings that need to be replaced.  Not only do they pose a threat to the kids, but they are hot in the summer, cold in the winter and leak in the rainy season making it very hard for the teachers to teach and the students to learn. 



The children still need us to help give them a brighter future and a chance to end the cycle of poverty. Please consider making a donation today and be part of a wonderful future.

Go to www.nairobikids.org to learn more.

Friday's Featured Student - Bright Student Seeks Caring Sponsor

Edina

Update - Edina has been sponsored!!!

Edina is 11 years old in class 3 and lives at Holly House. Her birthday is September 8th. Her dad is a teacher at Galilee Primary School and a Holly Heart (boys dorm) guardian. Edina's parents separated and her mother left town and her whereabouts are unknown. Edina is very bright and likes drawing and English class. Edina's sponsorship fees are only $15.00/month. Can you be her sponsor?

The children at Holly House orphanages are there because there is no where else for them to go. Most of them are orphans, or have only one parent who is unable to provide basic necessities for them. Some of them are displaced refugees, victims of war, drought, or post-election violence. Many of the children Fanuel, the school director, heard about and found them living on the streets and brought them to Holly House to live so they could receive an education and enhance the quality of their lives. Holly House orphanages are located on the campus with Galilee Primary School and Waddington High School. Coming here to live provides these children with hope in otherwise tragic lives.

Edina in 2006

This is what one of the sponsors who has traveled to Galilee had to say about Edina "I met her when she was just a tiny girl, and have since seen her a few times and she is just so sweet and so smart! "

Please email info@nairobikids.org today.

Friday's Featured Student - From Heartbreak to Healing

Meet Noel

Update - Noel has found a sponsor!!!

Noel is in the 7th grade and will be turning 13 on June 6th.  She loves to dance and one day she dreams of becoming a nurse. 

Sisters Noel and Mercy had a very difficult year in 2006. Their Mom died of AIDs in 2005 and they were taken in by an `aunt' and `uncle'. Fanuel, the school director had included them on the list of children who had not reported for school in June of that year. After investigating the case he found out that the girls were actually withdrawn from school by their guardian and sold as domestic servants. Thankfully Fanuel worked really hard to force the authorities to investigate the case and the guardian was arrested. Fanuel then managed to track down the girls and bring them back to live at Holly House. 

Noel has since lost her sponsor and needs a caring person who will stand by her and show her that she is cared for and how important it is to compelete her education.

Won't you please consider sponsoring Noel today?  Please email info@nairobikids.org and help give her a brighter future.