A group shot of the Umbrella Youths graduation trip to Jhule
(July 2012)
All Umbrella Youths who had recently passed their School Leaving Certificate (SLC), thanks to the help of Umbrella supporters (You!) had their traditional night away in the near by Himalayan vantage point of Jhule, two hours from our homes in Kathmandu.
It was a nice reward for years of hard work in school for the youths and it was also a chance for them to all be together as a group (as 32 of them!) before they each embarked on their respective ‘Next Steps’ in life.
On a cloudy July morning, in the height of monsoon season, all the youths, and some staff left the Umbrella homes in Swoyambhu by bus for Jhule. However, the persistent monsoon rains delayed the trip at every turn and in the end we had to walk the last 5km in the rain through muddy roads to reach our accommodation atop a ridge on the northwest of the Kathmandu valley. We all ate and hung out that night with cards and games being the games of choice.
accommodation And then the next morning we trekked up to the nearby Himalayan vantage point, where we hoped to get a peek of the mountains through the monsoon clouds!
SLC Group Trip Pic 2
Anil enjoying the lovely early morning view back over the Kathmandu valley
Anil enjoying the lovely early morning view back over the Kathmandu valley
SLC Group Trip Pic 3
The guys sampled some of the local grown apples as we trekked up to the Himalayan vantage point
The guys sampled some of the local grown apples as we trekked up to the Himalayan vantage point
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The Lads on their trek up to the vantage point not too appropriately dressed in jeans!
The Lads on their trek up to the vantage point not too appropriately dressed in jeans!
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The Umbrella Youths have grown up together over up to 8 years and they are all very close
The Umbrella Youths have grown up together over up to 8 years and they are all very close
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The 'very' famous Nepali game of "Gigi gigi gigi"!; basically where line up 4 on 4 with having your own half. You have to run to the other teams half, touch them and return to your side without getting "taken down"...
The 'very' famous Nepali game of "Gigi gigi gigi"!; basically where line up 4 on 4 with having your own half. You have to run to the other teams half, touch them and return to your side without getting "taken down"...
SLC Group Trip Pic 5
The Internationally known game of "Throw a chocolate sweet in the air and watch as everyone fights each other to get it"! The rules for this as pretty self-explanatory....
The Internationally known game of "Throw a chocolate sweet in the air and watch as everyone fights each other to get it"! The rules for this as pretty self-explanatory....
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Stephen (former Country Director back on a holiday to Nepal) chatting with the girls entering our Next Steps this year
Stephen (former Country Director back on a holiday to Nepal) chatting with the girls entering our Next Steps this year
Once there we played a few games of the famous Nepal Game “Gigi gigi gigi” (what do you mean you never heard of it?!) and a very fun game of “Catch the Sweet”!
Once everyone tired from the games, we all just sat about and talked about what the Youths Plans were for their future and how we hoped to help them fulfill their potential. All while we waited for that elusive sneak peek of the Himalayas..!
by Macartan
