January, 2017

Donate for Maha Shivaratri 2017

YUVA wishes to announce that it will be conducting free food distribution on a full time basis for four consecutive days, from 21-24 February 2017 at Grand Bassin on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

Last year YUVA served 150000+ puris, 20000+ juice cups and 20000+ biryani plates for Maha Shivaratri. We’ll live this spirit again!

We request Mauritians to donate (in-kind or cash) and/or help (as a volunteer) our non-religious, non-profit organisation to make this initiative a success. By contributing to this programme you feel strongly about as a donor/volunteer and engaging creatively with the shape, form and impact of the project, you ensure that a generation of young people never looks back on the possibilities of how they can create positive change and unity.

YUVA’s bank details are as follows:

Account holder: YUVA
Account no.: 62030100193303
Swift code: STCBMUMU
IBAN: MU09STCB1180030100193303000MUR
Bank: State Bank of Mauritius, SBM Tower, Port Louis

For further information on how you can donate and/or help, call on 57086868 or email at info@yuvamauritius.com.

Observed this year on 24th of February, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in a wide variety of ways in different countries where Hinduism is practised, but all are concerned with marking the marriage of Lord Shiva to Parvati. It is a very important Hindu festival and it is suggested that some 300,000 pilgrims celebrate Maha Shivaratri in Mauritius. It involves fasting, praying and making offerings to Lord Shiva and can start up to a month before the actual day.

In Mauritius, all Hindus are also required to walk to the lake at Grand Bassin, called Ganga Talao (or Lake Ganges). Depending on where they live, pilgrims will start walking to Grand Bassin several days before. They are usually dressed in white and may carry a kanwar, a bamboo frame decorated with flowers, bells, statues, etc, varying in size from small personal ones to large ones (from temples) on wheels, pulled along by a number of young men. Once they get to Ganga Talao the pilgrims say prayers and make offerings of food to Shiva, and the other gods represented there. After they have finished at Grand Bassin the pilgrims return home and may spend the night at the temple making offerings and saying prayers (puja).

The crater lake at Grand Bassin was discovered in 1897 by Pandit Gosain Naipual, a priest from Terre Rouge. He dreamt that a holy lake existed in Mauritius and set out to find it, which he did soon after. As people began to find out about the lake, pilgrims started to walk there as part of their celebration for Maha Shivaratri. Much more recently holy water from the Ganges was brought to Mauritius and was poured into the lake, making it even more sacred. At this festival the pilgrims take sacred water from the lake back to the house or temple to pour it over a symbolic statue of Shiva (the Lingum).

65 Needy Children of Suburbs Receive School Materials

Organised by YUVA Port Louis, today morning 65 needy children of the suburbs have benefited from school materials at Centre de Rencontre (Ex-Marché de la Butte).

YUVAN Veronique Labonte led this project by targeting the needy children by conducting surveys and groundwork in the suburbs of Port Louis.

Present in the event, YUVA national president Krishna Athal seized the opportunity to thank all volunteers who participated in the #EducationForAll campaign, which was conducted by YUVA since the last three months.

YUVA donates school materials at Port Louis

NORTH: Opportunity Forum for Unemployed Youth

In-line with its goal to reduce unemployment among young people in Mauritius, YUVA is launching the #TacklingUnemployment initiative all around the island.

YUVA is collaborating with the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) to help unemployed youngsters to secure a better future.

As a first event, YUVA is inviting youngsters from the northern part of Mauritius to attend the Opportunity Forum for Unemployed Youth on Sunday, 26 February 2017 at 9am.

In programme: presentation of the National Skills Development Programme (NSDP) and the Graduate Training for Employment Scheme (GTES) and on-spot application for admission.

Note: YUVA will very soon be organising similar forum every month in the rest parts of Mauritius, namely East, South and West.

Total of 14,821 Cloth Items Distributed at Baie Du Tombeau in 3 Months

YUVA conducted its last clothes distribution campaign today at Longere Tole, Baie Du Tombeau with a total of 14,821 cloth items distributed at the destination for the last 3 months.

YUVA is determined to work towards helping needy families come out of poverty and to live a life where the basics are at least meant.

YUVA had launched its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used clothes from individuals, civic and corporate organisations, then distributing those clothes to poor and disadvantaged people.