Hanna's Orphanage Newsletter - January 2010

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the January Hanna’s Orphanage newsletter. As you will have noticed, there hasn’t been a newsletter for quite a while – but this does not mean we haven’t been doing any work! We’ve been making new contacts, fundraising, making plans, spending time with the children, working out just how best to help the orphanage ... and of course, helping the orphanage spend the money you have raised for them.

Below are highlights of the things you’ve helped us to do in the last year, and our plans for the new year ahead ... As ever, we’d love for you to get involved, so if you fancy helping with anything, please do get in touch with us at info@hannasorphanage.org.uk

The Hanna’s Team



Our Time in Ethiopia
Jenny spent the majority of 2008 and 2009 living in Ethiopia, visiting and working with the orphanage, and helping them spend the money you’ve raised. She wrote several articles for Telegraph Weekly, which raised awareness of the charity and brought many new donors to the orphanage. If you want to look at the blog of her time there, please go to www.hannasorphanage.blogspot.com



Anne-marie, the Hanna’s Orphanage treasurer, and her partner, David, also travelled to Ethiopia, bringing lots of donated toys, books and clothes, while supporters Amie Liddle, Nicole Masri and Paul Tew visited during 2009 and spent time with the children.

One of the huge advantages of being out in Ethiopia is being able to talk face to face with the staff of the orphanage, especially Hanna, and find out exactly what they need. Sometimes this isn’t so easy, especially when we’re trying to contact the orphanage from the UK! Unreliable phone lines and unexpected cultural differences can cause difficulties on both sides!

Being ‘on the ground’ really helps. This year we were in Ethiopia when the orphanage found out that they were going to have to leave their current premises if they couldn’t pay some extra taxes. We were able to help with the problem immediately, and using money you raised, we’ve paid 6 months’ worth of the taxes, giving the orphanage some ‘breathing space’.

# Everyone who went to Ethiopia paid their own air fare and expenses, so no donations were used.



New Chairs for the Library
One of the people who saw the article in the Telegraph Weekly was Peter Hansen, who challenged his company, Pacific Environmental Consulting, to match his donation. Their money they all raised paid for a refit of the orphanage’s library, specifically buying new chairs.
The chairs are really good quality, and have a desk attached to the arm, so the students can study without having to squash round tables. It means there’s space for a lot more young people to come and use the library and classrooms.



Any other money is going to be used to buy up to date books for the library.


Wells Hall CP School
Jenny spent a day at Wells Hall during their ‘Africa’ week’ talking to the children about Ethiopia and Hanna Orphans Homes. They had a collection at one of their Christmas Concerts and raised £166 for us.



Droxford Junior School
When the school council of Droxford Junior School decided they wanted to help Hanna’s Orphanage, they planned a ‘Sponsored Spell’ and planned to raise around £300 ... Instead, at final count last week they’d managed to raise over £1784.29!



We’re so grateful for their hard work, and the money they raised will go towards the children’s education, including covering the registration fees for school and paying for uniform.




Christmas Donations
We had several donations made in leui of Christmas presents/card this year. We then sent a Christmas card to the nominated person informing them of the donation. Another good way for us to spread the word about our work!


Get Involved in 2010!
We’ve got some great ways you can get involved over the next year!

• In August, Danyele and Jenny will be jumping out of an aeroplane (parachutes may be involved!) to raise money. Details on how to sponsor them will be coming soon – but if you’d like to take part yourself, please email Jenny at honeyjenny@gmail.com

• Get your skates on, as Maria will be organising a ‘Sponsored Skate’! Want to get involved? Got the stamina for a LONG skate? Get in touch: maria@blueskyonline.co.uk!

• We’re still collecting foreign currency, which we can turn into pounds sterling. If you have any foreign currency (from any country at all; notes or coins!), email us at info@hannasorphanage.org.uk.

• We’re going to be linked to a new fundraising initiative called ‘Football for Africa’ which will help, through football, Hanna’s Orphanage and another charity called LEAP. More about this in next month’s newsletter.

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!