Colours Of Life
The Yongs' Pic Album since 1998
World Seva 2011
Robyn's Diary
About the Yongs
Projects

 


13th Year: 2011
Jan
- Piano Recital by Robyn, Mosaic Art Portrait & CNY Reunion Lunch
Feb
- Chinese New Year, PA Got Talents, Alvin's Birthday & Opening of Clay-Street New Studio
Mar
- Bye-bye Heni
Seva Wk 01: Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore
Seva Wk 02: 1st Seva with Divine Karnataka Project & On Course
Seva Wk 03: Sponsoring Rural Village Sport Clubs & Bridge at Chikmagalur
Seva Wk 04:
'WHY DKP' Corporate Fund Raising
Apr
Seva Wk 05: DKP Helps Rural Farmers, Gadag & Koppal, Karnataka
Seva Wk 06: Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Konark, Puri & Sri Sri University
Seva Wk 07: Tribal School Project, Jharkhand
Seva Wk 08:
Tribal School Arts Festival on Facebook
May
Seva Wk 09: Tribal School @ Dumuria & Ranchi
Seva Wk 10: Tribal School Digital Contest & Kolkata
Seva Wk 11: Kolkata to Delhi to Himachal Pradesh
Seva Wk 12: Shoghi, Shimla & Tirthan Valley in Himachal Pradesh

Jun
Seva Wk 13: Homestay @ Tirthan, Kullu Valley
Seva Wk 14: Sangla, Peo, Nako, Kinnaur Valley
Seva Wk 15: Tabo, Kaza, Kye, Spiti Valley
Seva Wk 16: Demul to Komic on Yaks, Spiti Valley

Jul
Seva Wk 17: Kaza to Manali to Gurgaon, Delhi
Seva Wk 18: Gurgaon & Barefoot College,Tilonia
Seva Wk 19: Jaipur & back to Bangalore
Seva Wk 20 & 21: With the Murthys in Bangalore

Aug
Seva Wk 22-24: Meridian 101 Ambassadors for India & Bye Bye India
Seva Wk 25: Seva in Africa - Jumbo Kenya!
Seva Wk 26: Seva at the Children's Garden Home
Sep
Seva Wk 27: More Seva Projects at CGH
Seva Wk 28: Self-drive Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Hell's Gate
Seva Wk 29: Short Break to Arusha, Tanzania
Seva Wk 30: Safari at Nairobi National Park & Children's Day Celebration
Oct
Seva Wk 31: Launching BEADwear for Christmas
Seva Wk 32: Robyn turns 13 in Kampala, Uganda
Seva Wk 33: Rafting the White Nile, Jinja, Uganda
Seva Wk 34: Sipi Falls, Uganda & African Child Mega Dance in Kenya
Nov
Seva Wk 35: Nairobi to Mombasa, Malindi & Lamu
Seva Wk 36: Seva@Lamu - Donkey necklace + Kaya
Seva Wk 37: Seva@Lamu - Hands Up 4 Kids
Seva Wk 38: Bye Africa, Hello Istanbul, Homeward-bound Singapore
Dec
- Home Sweet Home in Singapore
 
   

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SEVA WEEK 27 (5 - 11 Sep 2011)

 

Children's Garden Home is run as a family setup and the children live here like a big family of brothers and sisters. They take care of the home, guided by Matron Lucy, take care of one another, do the cooking and cleaning as a team.

The children find entertainment in simple things. They play creatively with wheelbarrow and innovate new games with a deflated football. They love basketball but could not afford one... But the simple pleasure of life is what we learn and shall take away from our stay with them here...

Cleaning duty is done every morning.
Cleaning duty is done every morning.
No pipe-in water so collecting water is a daily task
No pipe-in water so collecting water is a daily task.
The vege farm is a source of food and training for kids.
The vege farm is a source of food and training for kids.
Meal preparation is a team activity, guided by seniors.
Meal preparation is a team activity, guided by seniors.
Football training by Moses was a regular activity.
Football training by Moses was a regular activity.
Robyn playing a game of 'bladder' with the girls
Robyn playing a game of 'bladder' with the girls.

Devotion and singing is a nightly affair.
Devotion and singing is a weekly Friday night affair.

Kazier (10 yrs) doing hairstyling for Jin.
Kezia (10 yrs) styling Jin's hair.
 

The picture below shows the dining hall for the children at CGH. For a long time, it was devoid of furniture. Every meal time, the children would have to hand carry the heavy study desks from their classrooms to the dining hall, and after meal time, to bring them back.

We decided we could raise some funds to sponsor the making of 10 tables and 20 benches as permanent dining hall furniture. Each table will sit 12 kids so that will create a seating capacity of 120 in one go.

As with the door project, carpenter Fester would involve the older kids in making the dining hall furniture onsite for a greater sense of belonging and pride, as well as to provide vocational training. We are grateful to AOL Kenya, Kirit and Priti Shah, and KC from Singapore, for the kind sponsorship.

Project cost = Ksh80,000
Sponsor = Kirit & Priti Shah (timber), AOL Kenya and Tan Kwang Cheak

Dining hall at CGH

Kids had to carry study desks to/fro for meal times

We went shopping for timber
Shopping for timber, with heavy bargaining!
Table making in progress...
Table making in progress...
   

Alessandra and Eugeno, and their friends from Italy sponsored the Posho Mill. Besides milling maize for flour to make ugali at the home, it also offers milling service for the local community to generate an income for CGH.

We designed and launched a VIP Customer Loyalty and Friend Referral Program to kick start this sustainability project. We thank our friends for supporting this project with donation.

Project cost = Ksh10,000
Sponsors = 'Friends of Seva' Donors

We helped to seed the capital goods of 2 sacks (90kg each) of maize for sale

The photo shows one of the first VIP Customers to sign up for the mill-10-buckets-get-1-bucket-FREE program. The Friend Referral Program is now also bringing in more new VIP customers! This is network marketing in action!We helped to seed the capital cost of 2 sacks (90kg each) of maize for sale. Fiona Saunder from the UK subsequently sponsored another 6 sacks. Each 2kg bucket with milling fetches Ksh110. So each sack will earn a profit of Ksh550. The aim is to get the Posho Mill Service to be self-sustaining, and then to generate a growing income for sustainability of CGH. The photo shows one of the first VIP Customers to sign up for the mill-10-buckets-get-1-bucket-FREE program. The Friend Referral Program is now also bringing in more new VIP customers! This is network marketing in action!



Another initiative we launched was the chicken farm. The idea was to rear chicken to multiply more chicken and then to lay enough eggs to not only feed the children but also to sell the eggs/chicken to generate income for CGH.

We set up a student Kuku committee to run this project. They worked with Robyn to design and paint the signage.

Project cost = Ksh30,000
Sponsors = 'Friends of Seva' Donors

The chicken coop was previously used to rear rabbits.
The chicken coop was previously used to rear rabbits.
Getting the coop ready to welcome the chicken...
Getting the coop ready to welcome the chicken...
It was a wonderful combined seva effort with Marcus and his sons from the USA. They donated 90 genetic chicken while we sponsored 20 (1 died) local chicken.
It was a wonderful combined seva effort with Marcus and his sons from the USA. They donated 90 GM chickens while we sponsored 20 (1 died) local chickens.
We sponsored the purchase of timber and materials for the construction of the chicken coop by carpenter Fester. Accountant Lazarus bought the local chicken.
We sponsored the purchase of timber and materials for the construction of the chicken coop by carpenter Fester. Accountant Lazarus bought the local chickens.
   

At the invitation of Eric Mogaka, country coordinator of Service For Peace in Kenya, we met his team in his office for an experience exchange and sharing session.

I talked about our seva experience in India and shared with them the concept of social business. We also discussed how best to assist Children's Garden Home with agri-farm technology through the use of the greenhouse that was constructed by Service For Peace.

The Service For Peace team
Alvin on his pet subject - social business
The discussion took place at SFP office

 

> Week 28: Self-drive Safari to Masai Mara Game Reserve...

 

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