Tag: Tamina

shuktara homes

Old friends visit shuktara

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In 1999, the very beginning of shuktara, Alison and Bryan stayed in an upstairs flat in the first shuktara home. Their door was almost always open to the first five boys - Anna, Sunil, Shantara, Bapi and Sanjay.

For the next few years they taught computer skills downstairs in David's flat, shared meals with everyone at shuktara, and even went on vacations to Goa and Puri with the boys. While they lived in Kolkata they were frequent visitors to the shuktara homes.

They recently returned to Kolkata for a visit and absolutely loved being back with the young people of shuktara. They took dozens of photos - here are a few of the best.

shuktara - featured 2017 November - Belinda and Sunil

Pizza party with Belinda

Posted on by shuktara

When Belinda is in Kolkata she always visits shuktara. Usually it's a night out at Fire and Ice to have the best pizza in Kolkata. This time the party included some of the young people from shuktara and a small group of friends. Thank you Belinda!

Day of the Dead at Lula Bari

Posted on by shuktara

Our friend Sunnie Nicklaus came back to Kolkata this weekend and she decided that celebrating the Day of the Dead at Lula Bari with the girls would be great fun. First she started off with a couple of hundred photos that she has taken over her previous visits and the girls pasted them all in photo albums and are able to keep their own copies.

Sunnie also brought Day of the Dead masks that everyone decorated. They all decorated each other with paper flowers and the day ended up with some of the biggest balloons we have ever seen.

Thank you Sunnie for coming back to Kolkata!

Please click here to see Sunnie's page supporting shuktara:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sunnie-niklaus
shuktara - 2017 October - Tamina twirling a sparkler

Diwali – the festival of light

Posted on by shuktara

Diwali is Hindu New Year - also called the Festival of Lights, a holiday that all of shuktara look forward to with joyful anticipation.

The festivities begin at dusk as candles are lit in all of the windows, up the stairs, and around the perimeter of the roof. Everyone enjoys lighting sparklers and crackers as well as watching the fireworks that explode above the rooftops of Kolkata. It's a magical celebration however it's possible that no one enjoys it quite as much as Sunil.

shuktara - 2017 October - Prity showing her finished masterpiece

Leaf Painting at Lula Bari

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Our friend Emma Christmas is in Kolkata and she brought some leaves from a local forest with her. On her way back from Santiniketan she had an idea for the Lula Bari girls and young women to make leaf garlands and decorate the house.

Lots of paint and lots of laughter - it was messy and a lot of fun for everyone.

shuktara girls

The girls of Lula Bari

Posted on by shuktara

These polaroids seem to capture the individual spirit of each of the girls and young women who live at Lula Bari.

Thank You Caroline De Penning for spending so much of your time at Lula Bari and for taking these wonderful photos for the girls to treasure.

Caroline comes regularly to our girls home to do fun activities which have included hair and make-up and often other beauty parlour things.

We also appreciate the involvement of Kolkata International Womens Club and their support of our girls. This year they are paying school fees for all of the girls who attend REACH.