Harvest Festival

On the 15th January we gathered together as one big family on the Harvest Festival also known as Pongal or Shankranthi. The earth is decorated for the celebration. New rice is cooked with milk and jaggery in a new earthen ware pot in a small patch that is fairly decorated with garlands of mango leaves, sugarcane and intricate colourful designs known as Rangoli. While the milk and the rice boil over all scream with joy “Pongalo Pongal”. This is then blessed and distributed to all present on banana leaves. The first to be given of this sweet rice with a banana are the milch animals, our buffalos and our goats. They enjoy it as much as the kids and ask for more. A day we thank God for His blessings on the earth and we ask for a bountiful harvest and for God’s protection for the year 2011.

Tripple Celebration

There was a real hub of activity, noise, laughter and excitement in Nava Jeevana, Bellary on the 23^rd and 24^th December 2010.  We had a triple celebration – World Disabled Day (Dec 3) Puttani Sangha Festival (Children’s Festival) and the Christmas Celebration.  We planned to coincide this with the visit of our friend from Germany Martin Gruger and his son Benedikt who wished to celebrate Christmas with us.  The 175 children were invited to new experiences and adventures; one was drawing cash from the Nava Jeevana Bank where Sr. Victoria was the Bank Manager. Their cash and their day was spent in lucky dips, canteen, photo session, games of chance etc.  as twilight fell all gathered around the Holy Family and the live crib made up of our gardener, his wife the cook and their baby Preethi.  The children in spite of their disabilities sang and danced as kings, shepherd, angels, this was thanks to Sr. Leo and her staff who took keen interest to organize this.

Christmas is essentially a story – history of Sharing.  We had taken the theme of SHARING for reflection and action during advent, Sisters, Staff and Children were encouraged to find ways and means to practice ‘sharing’ in its various aspects.  “Sharing a kind word, an appreciation, a smile, an act – The outcome was that our 55 disabled children volunteered to share their “mite” and their goodies that they received to make surprise gifts and organize games for those less fortunate than themselves namely the children of the Daya Kendra (Leprosy Colony) and the neighbouring slums.  It was indeed touching to see our little ones leaning on crutches go over to give out the prizes and surprise gifts with a smile on their faces .Those who gave experienced as much joy or even more than those who received – Miracle of sharing is essential to make the world a better place to live in.    The visit of Catherine Bowman from UK and Xavier Mariadas from PCTC, Karyandhal, Tamilnadu who encouraged us in all what we are doing.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Dear friends,

lots of love and Greetings from all the Sisters and Children of Nava Jeevana!  May this New Year bring us joy, love and peace in all our endevours.  We are happy to tell you that we have created this blogg to continue to share with the news of  Nava Jeevana.