loves to sing

Adrian

Adrian is one of the younger girls at Havilah and rarely stands still for long. She loves to sing, especially at Sabbath worship, and has just started reading on her own. Her favorite job is helping set the table for the whole house.

wants to teach

Anna

Anna is small, quick, and curious about everything. She is in her first years of primary school and is proudest of her handwriting, which she practices on any scrap of paper she can find. Ask her what she wants to be and she will say a teacher, because teachers get to hold the chalk.

future pilot

Baraka

Baraka's name means blessing, and his grin is the first thing anyone notices. He is happiest outside, kicking a football with the older boys, and is learning to read in both Swahili and English. He has decided he will be a pilot.

future engineer

Brian

Brian is one of the older boys and the one the younger children run to when something breaks. He is quiet, careful, and good with his hands; he fixed the kitchen bench last term. He is doing well in mathematics and says he wants to be an engineer.

wants to study medicine

Cecilia

Cecilia loves the garden and can name most of the trees on the compound. She is a steady student who likes science best, and she keeps a notebook of the birds she sees from the porch. She hopes to study medicine one day.

future nurse

Costanzia

Costanzia is gentle and thoughtful, the child most likely to be found reading under a tree. She is in upper primary now and helps the younger girls with their homework in the evenings. Her dream is to become a nurse.

future doctor

David

David takes school seriously and dresses the part. He is strong in mathematics and English, plays football every afternoon, and is one of the first to volunteer for chores. He wants to be a doctor and asks visiting nurses a lot of questions.

draws cars

Denis

Denis has an easy laugh and a knack for making the little ones giggle. He is in middle primary and improving fast in reading; his teachers say he works hard. He loves drawing and fills the margins of his exercise books with cars.

storyteller

Elizabeth

Elizabeth is bright, talkative, and the house's unofficial announcer of news. She likes school, especially storytelling, and can recite long passages from memory. Her favorite days are when there is music in the evening.

wants to study business

Esther

Esther is one of the oldest girls and a natural leader in the house. She is in secondary school, does well across her subjects, and mentors the younger girls with their studies and their chores. She hopes to go to university and study business.

future accountant

Gift

Gift is steady and serious about his schoolwork, and he is a stylish dresser when the occasion calls for it. He enjoys mathematics and is learning to play the keyboard for worship. He says he wants to be an accountant.

wants to teach

Happy

Happy lives up to her name; she smiles at everyone and everything. She is in primary school, loves singing in the choir, and is learning to braid hair for the younger girls. She wants to be a teacher.

wants to build houses

Joshua

Joshua is thoughtful and observant, the kind of boy who watches how something is done and then does it right the first time. He is doing well in primary school and likes science lessons best. He has said he wants to build houses.

wants to drive

Kelvin

Kelvin is shy at first and then very funny once he knows you. He is a good student, particularly in reading, and is patient with the youngest children at the home. He loves football and wants to be a driver like the man who brings supplies.

future pastor

Livingston

Livingston is confident, cheerful, and usually the first to raise his hand. He is in primary school, enjoys English and drama, and likes to lead the Sabbath songs. He says he will be a pastor, or possibly a football star.

future restaurant owner

Martha

Martha is one of the older girls, kind and quick to laugh. She is in secondary school and strong in languages, and she helps the house mothers cook on weekends. She hopes to study hospitality and open a restaurant one day.

loves the big swing

Miriam

Miriam is small, spirited, and always in motion. She is in early primary, loves colorful dresses and dancing, and is learning her letters with great enthusiasm. Her favorite thing about Havilah is the swing under the big tree.

future artist

Queen

Queen is warm and a little mischievous, with a smile that gives her away. She is in primary school, likes reading and art, and collects leaves and flowers from the garden for her drawings. She wants to be an artist.