Easter bunny sales to help African children

In 2002, Marian Falla set up the Wayaya charity with the Zambian-born Glenda Wiseman, nee Namukonda, who at the time was working in Guernsey as a pharmacist.

More than 70% of Zambia’s six million children live in extreme poverty and more than 30% of those under 15 are orphans.

Mrs Falla and husband Tony were touched at the statistics and Mrs Wiseman’s deep commitment to do something to help. Their fundraising efforts enabled Wayaya House to be built in 2012. Since then five orphaned children have been taken in and provided with food, clothing and schooling. Mrs Falla said she doubted that one of the children, who had health issues, would be alive today were it not for the help from the charity. Educating the children should enable them to help people in their country in the future.

‘The joy has been giving these children opportunities that they would never have had,’ said Mrs Falla.

‘It’s great to be able to share what you have with people who have nothing.’

Wayaya House cost £70,000 to build and Mrs Falla said a similar amount had been raised since it opened.

The money has been raised in various ways including, for the last 15 years, knitting Easter bunnies.

The body of each bunny is a plastic egg containing mini eggs.

Mrs Falla, along with Jean Martel and Miriam Le Page, knit the bunnies, which are sold for £3.50 each from the gate outside Mrs Falla’s home in Les Querites, Castel. [Perry’s 14 D2]

Sales since the end of February have been going well and have raised more than £720.

Other fundraising initiatives include ‘Tennerfest’ Sunday lunches which Mrs Falla has cooked at her home and afternoon teas at Moore’s Hotel which have been attended by about 100 people.

For about the past five years at Christmas time, Linda Fermont has sold jams made from the produce from her garden, which has raised about £400 yearly for the charity.

n Further details of the charity can be found at Wayayahouse.org.gg.