The Asian Weekly decided to celebrate its 100th edition by supporting Cancer Awareness in Kenya. An appeal was sent out for donations in return for a published congratulatory message.
LHSG was quick to respond. We donated Sh 20 000/= (approx. US $ 240) and were rewarded with a mention in the Weekly.
The various Seva activities of LHSG were appreciated by The Kenyan Newspaper The Asian Weekly in their 100th edition. We were placed at par with other Social Giants like Asian Community Societies and Religious Centres!
True to our promise, LHSG members Mamta, Punita, Shariffa, Faith, Fhanreet, Shazmeen and I were ready and waiting on Saturday 14th July, at the Ram Mandir Hall to receive our guests from the Mukuru Sinai Slums. Unfortunately, due to the bus driver not being familiar with Parklands, they got ‘lost’ and arrived more than an hour late.
But, they made up for the lateness with their sheer enthusiasm! Very quickly, they settled down and in no time the attunement process was underway. Although there were a few babies who needed distraction, which Faith provided by ‘bimbarezaing’ them, the attunement went very well. All 26 adults (men and women), and 5 children woke up after the attunement, ready to share their experiences …… Feeling lifted, energy passing through their bodies, seeing ‘Light’, etc. …… They were fully attuned to the first Level of Reiki!
Self healing of chakras followed next, and then a break for tea, followed by Self healing of the whole body. Healing others was demonstrated. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we could not go over the manuals they had been given, but I promised to visit them soon to go over any portion of the manual that they may need help in.
The importance of healing oneself every day was stressed, and of praying for others as an energy exchange for the gift of Reiki. Then it was graduation time! Each one came up proudly to receive their certificate and a rose. Finally, they were given bottles of water, some chocolates and biscuits for their journey back!
Thus was our 36th Seva Camp completed. The Lotus Healing Seva Group smiled as they packed away the banner, the manuals, the altar …… glowing with the rewarding feeling of having done Reiki seva one more time, and secure in the knowledge that there is no better way to live than to give …..!
By Kamal Tolia
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By Dee Hockey
A large group of us: Raj, Mamta, Anuradha, Dee, Varsha, Baljinder, Kamal, Shalini, Yatinder and Bharti, assembled at Kamal’s on a chilly Monday morning to visit the Mother Teresa home. We separated into different cars and set off thinking we were in convoy! However the leading car arrived at the Chief’s office last, having taken a different route! Having located each other we set off again into the depths of Huruma.
Arriving at the home we were escorted through a large crowd outside the gate by a “Security Guard” who moved the poor people away so we could drive in.
Once inside we were all amazed at how big it was. It is beautifully clean and in every small space there are well tended vegetables growing, there are also many Mango and Avocado trees in flower, very sensible to grow those when food is so short. There are also some bright flower beds, which all made a very sharp contrast to the squalid streets we had driven through to get there.
The home had a lovely atmosphere, and everyone we met was very calm and happy, especially the Sisters. We gave Reiki at each room we visited and continued this as we walked around the home.
We were taken in to the school which caters for the local slum children from outside the home. There are so many children wanting to attend this school that they have to have 2 sessions a day and children who were waiting for the afternoon session were so keen that they were already sitting inside the fence even though they were not due to start school for another hour or so! The children wishing to attend the school have had to pass an entrance test because there are so many applicants. In one of the classes they sang to us and in the youngest class they were fascinated by our LHSG badges and wanted to touch and examine them to check that we matched our photographs!!
We were taken to the disabled unit, where many of the young people are severely handicapped and some cannot do anything at all for themselves, they even have to be moved frequently to avoid pressure sores and require complete care. There was a group of drummers in the court yard playing for the children and they were clearly loving this activity, nodding their heads or clapping in time to the beat if they could.
Our visit to the mentally challenged woman’s unit was very moving. The women were very calm and unthreatening and were clearly well looked after with respect and love by the carers.
Visiting the baby unit was fun. These babies have been brought to the home having been found abandoned in the slum, in dust bins and rubbish heaps, or just dumped outside the gates. The little things were desperate to be picked up and played with as they craved human contact, but sadly the carers were very busy and were not able to play with them as much as they would have liked to, a fact that one of the Sisters was lamenting. Some of us enjoyed a little cuddle and it was very sad to have to replace the little bundles back into their cots!
Lotus Healing Seva Group visits Mother Teresa’s Home
By Kamal Tolia
The Lotus Healing Seva Group was privileged to be allowed to give Reiki blessings to the inmates of the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s Home in Huruma.
On 3rd July, Members Raj, Mamta, Anuradha, Dee, Varsha, Baljinder, Kamal, Shalini, Yatinder and Bharti set out to the Home with the intention to heal. The Sisters were very welcoming and showed us the school they run for the slum children, the mentally challenged children’s and adult women’s wards, and the orphan babies ward.
Donations of detergent soap, bar soap, bathing soap, toothpaste, uji flour, ugali flour, babies pampers, sanitary towels all worth Sh 66900/=, and lots of used clothes, shoes, games, and other useful items were made. But more important than these material things, the Group gave Reiki healing blessings to all the inmates, interacted and sang songs with them and cuddled the babies to give them a much needed loving touch.
It was a very humbling experience, and we gave thanks to God for making us and our loved ones healthy and normal and for all the privileges we enjoy.
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