Colours Of Life
The Yongs' Pic Album since 1998
World Seva 2011
Robyn's Diary
About the Yongs
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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 32 (10-16 Oct 2011)

 

We went shopping at River Road with Sylvia and Joseph, assisted by Perpetua, a bead jewelry crafts lady we met at the Masai market and friend of face mask artist Doreen. Back in Children's Garden Home, the older girls got cranking at production to fulfill the orders we secured from buyers in Singapore, London, USA and Holland.

Shopping for bead materials at River Road in Nairobi.
Shopping for bead materials at River Road in Nairobi.

The Little Fingy's BEADwear craft team in action.
The Little Fingy's BEADwear craft team in action.
 

Thanks to Moses, we arrived at the Easy Coach station at 6am for the 12-hour coach ride to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. A big part of the journey at the Kenyan side was bumpy due to innumerable potholes. Vehicular suspension must be good business in Kenya!

When we were eventually dropped off at the Nakumatt Oasis in Kampala, we were pleased to find the driver from the Backpackers Inn waiting. We did a quick shopping for drinking water and snacks at the supermarket, drew some cash from the Stanchart ATM, and headed off to the Backpackers where we stayed for 2 nights.

Uganda is filled with friendly people and much of the country is farm land. We don't get harassed along the road and we got to enjoy walking around Kampala and soaking in the colours and buzz.

 

Thanks to Devna's introduction, we got to know Nisha, an Art of Living devotee in Kampala. Nisha brought us to Home Of Joy, a centre run by The Salvation Army for physically disabled children from poor families in Uganda.

There are 40 children living here under the care of a team of 11 dedicated staff, led by centre manager Major Rose Ndeke.

Home of Joy, a centre run by The Salvation Army for physically disabled children from poor families in Uganda

Brian aspires to study and become self-reliant one day.
Brian aspires to study and become self-reliant one day.

Wheelchairs were all worn out and unusable.
Wheelchairs were all worn out and unusable.

The only first aid box was in poor condition and also poorly stocked of needed medical supplies.
The only first aid box was in poor condition and also inadequately stocked of necessary medical supplies.
So we decided to help these wonderful children who are all trying their best to carve a life for themselves.
So we decided to help these wonderful children who are all trying their best to carve a life for themselves.

We appreciate Rose Ndeke for her openness in sharing with us not only the critical needs of the home but also her detailed financial breakdown. That helped us to grasp the home's situation within 3 hours of our first visit and develop a seva action plan.

On 15 Oct, we sponsored 30 new mosquito nets for the children. It was fun shopping at the wholesale market with Rose, supported by superb bargaining prowess from Nisha and Aparna.

On 15 Oct, we sponsored 30 new mosquitoe nets for the children
On 20 Oct, we bought them a weighing scale so Moses, the first aider, could adminster medicine based on the correct weight of each child.

On 20 Oct, we bought them a weighing scale so Moses, the first aider, could administer medicine based on the correct weight of each child.

We also sponsored a new first aid box complete with 3 months of medical supplies.

In addition, we placed an order for 4 new custom-made wheelchairs for the disabled children living in the home.

Robyn and kid at Home Of Joy
We also sponsored a new first aid box complete with 3 months of medical supplies.

We are grateful to Melvin, Judith and Arthur for their kind donation to make this seva project possible. They have made a definitive difference to the children in Home Of Joy.

Thanks also to Nisha for the introduction and support as part of our Art of Living seva initiative.

Project cost = Ush2,200,000
Sponsors = Melvin, Judith & Arthur

 

We moved to The Haven Apartment at Rubaga for a 1-week stay. It's a wonderfully furnished service apartment where Robyn and Jin had plenty of fun doing all sorts of experimental cooking, making chapatti and baking cakes!

One week of relaxation at The Haven Apartment
One week of relaxation at The Haven Apartment.
Robyn doing her morning kriya at the lounge.
Robyn doing her morning kriya at the lounge.

Experimental cooking...
Experimental cooking...

...with results of yummy flying colours
...with results of yummy flying colours!

We travelled to the city for walkabout. Kampala is so jammed with so many vehicles, especially matatu. Squeezing our way into the Kampala Old Taxi Park was an interesting experienvce - sheer matatu madness!

We travelled to the city for walkabout. The wholesale market area was abuzz with life and they seem to sell more clothing than the whole world needs!

Kampala is jammed with so many vehicles, especially matatu. At the junctions, matatu could bunch up so closely in multiple lines that we couldn't even squeeze through between 2 vehicles.

To find out the whereabouts of the boarding point for matatu to Jinja, we navigated into the Kampala Old Taxi Park. It's amazing how the matatu were able to manoeuvers into and out of that tightly parked maze.

 

We were to meet Nisha at the Nakumatt Oasis to go shopping for mosquito nets for Home Of Joy. While crossing the road at the roundabout, a boda-boda motobiker brushed very close to us but too close for Robyn, who was hit and flung forward to the edge of the road in a tumble. It was a fright for Alvin who was holding Robyn's hand, only to find the grip lost at the moment of impact. Amazingly, Robyn rolled and stood up, although in somewhat of a daze. The boda-boda zoomed off. Poor Robyn sustained a blue-black bruise to her thigh and a bang to her tummy. Fortunately, we had Magnolia herbal essential oil to tend to her wound. Hardy Robyn still walked all the way to complete the shopping before we returned to The Haven to rest.

This was Robyn's first minor road accident and we were thankful that she was safe from greater harm!

 

Robyn's 13th birthday was spent pretty much in the kitchen in a service paratment in Kampala, Uganda.16 Oct 2011: Happy Birthday, Robyn Turns 13!

It's a unique Ugandan birthday for Robyn as her 13th birthday was spent pretty much in the kitchen in a service apartment in Kampala, Uganda.

Jin downloaded a cake recipe from the Internet that needs no oven baking. So Robyn had a steamed birthday cake with imaginary candles, topped up with a huge serving of fresh pineapples!

Happy birthday, Robyn

Happy Birthday, Robyn

Steamed birthday cake, by Jin.
Steamed birthday cake, by Jin.

Robyn catching up with Daddy's size...

After 13 years of feeding, Robyn is fast catching up with mummy's height and daddy's size. We shall have many more years of adventures, travelling and seva.

Robyn catching up with Mummy's height...
Robyn Yong Robyn Yong Robyn Yong Robyn Yong
The many faces of Robyn Yong...
Robyn Yong Robyn Yong Robyn Yong Robyn Yong

   

 

> Week 33: Rafting down the White Nile in Jinja, Uganda...

 

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