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Monday 26 April 2010

Hanna's Orphanage Newsletter

Welcome to the Hanna's Orphanage eNewsletter, April 2010!

Thank you for all the materials you have donated in the last three months. Jenny has just returned from a two week visit to Ethiopia, where she was able to give the orphanage the pens, pencils, footballs and other things you have given. Thank you!

We've been doing a lot of spending these last couple of months, so the next few months are going to be focused on raising money! There are lots of ways you can get involved, so if you'd like to help, please drop us an email.

Alternatively, we're always looking for people to raise money for us, so let us know your ideas.

Jenny and the Hanna’s Team



Wolita House

We have just sent over the money to pay the rent for another year on the Prisoners' Children House in the south of Ethiopia.

The house we pay the rent on was originally in a place called Hosanna, but the authorities asked Hanna if she would move it to Wolita, as the need was greater there. The house is now ready, and the children should be moving into their rooms in a few months.

Thank you to everyone who has donated money – you have helped us to provide shelter, food, education and space to play for more than 20 children.


Mercy

Mercy, one of the youngest children in the orphanage, was seriously ill with meningitis this time last year.

Hanna spent weeks at her hospital bedside, and it was touch and go as to whether she would survive. Jenny saw her – and managed a quick cuddle – while she was in Ethiopia in March, and she is making a really good recovery.

Unfortunately, despite some treatment, she has lost her sight, but she is walking and seems almost back to her happy self.



Gig - June

Back by popular demand, Hanna's Orphanage Music Nights are happening again! The next one will be at the end of June, just before everyone departs for their summer holiday!

Hopefully held at Vibe Bar in Brick Lane, there'll be great music by some fantastic bands (new and old) and a raffle where you can win all kinds of weird and wondeful prizes!

If you'd like more details, or if you have a prize you could donate to the raffle, please contact Maria on maria@blueskyonline.co.uk.



Parachute Jump

The sunshine has made a guest appearance, and everyone's looking forward to being out in the sunshine doing some 'outdoorsy' things! What could be more outdoorsy than jumping out of an aeroplane?!

In the first week of August, four Hanna's Orphanage volunteers are doing a sponsored parachute jump and they're looking for other people to join in!

If you think you might be brave enough and want to raise some much needed money for Hanna's Orphanage, please email Jenny at honeyjenny@gmail.com.


Thank you!

Thanks to St James the Great, Fulbrook Parochial Church Council for the £500 they donated to us at the beginning of the year. The money has gone towards paying the rent on the Wolita house.


Cake sale – June

Volunteers in Sudbury Suffolk will be holding a cake stall on Sudbury Market, on Saturday 19th June 2010.

If you're around, pop down and support us - or if you’re able to make cakes for us to sell, please contact Anne-marie on riewhs@hotmail.com.


Volunteers

In August, the orphanage will be benefitting from some great volunteers from the UK!
Cass Business School [ www.cass.city.ac.uk ] in London, are sponsoring some of their students to spend two weeks at the orphanage, teaching English as part of the summer school the orphanage runs every year. They will also be fundraising in the UK. So far, over 60 students have expressed interest.


Also visiting Ethiopia in August will be a group of volunteers who are planning to work with schools in Lalibela to run football training sessions and a sports day as part of their summer school.

They will also be visiting the orphanage to have a few games of football with the children, and some of the money they raise in the UK will be going to the orphanage.
For more information on their trip, see www.footballforafrica.co.uk.


Twitter and Facebook!

Join us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/hannasorphanage) or Facebook (Hanna's Orphanage). Tell all your friends! The more people who know about us, the more fundraising we can do!