Goa SunSplash | Robs Birthday | Hospital Visits | Happy New Year - 2021

GOA SUNSPLASH DIGITAL EDITIONS FROM 23RD JANUARY TO MON 25TH JANUARY 2021

Goa Sunsplash, Indias largest celebration of reggae music and culture has announced dates for a digital edition in 2021. Scheduled to be held over January 23-24 on online music streaming platform Mixcloud.

We are supporting a local Goan children?s charity, Goa Outreach through this event. Since 2013, Goa Outreach has worked to educate, feed, clothe and provide health care to slum and street children all over Goa. As you can imagine Covid-19 has hit these disadvantaged children hard and any support to them would be invaluable. So, if you enjoy the music and you appreciate the artist's efforts that went into recording these sets and keeping you entertained, please do drop a donation of any amount.

The online edition of the festival will see a number of international and local singers and DJs present digital sets. Headlining acts for this year?s event include Jamaican roots reggae legend Clinton Fearon, UK based Punjabi dancehall star Apache Indian and American pop reggae singer Bobby Hustle.

Other notable acts on the lineup include New Delhi-based reggae stalwarts Reggae Rajahs, legendary roots selectors Earl Gateshead and Soul Stereo, rising Indian reggae singers Lady Skavya, Sanyas-I and Dread Steppa, and soul/ funk band Lojal Collective.

The two day festival will be a free event, in support of local Goan children?s charity, Goa Outreach. Since 2016, Goa Outreach has worked to educate, feed, clothe and provide health care to slum and street children all over Goa. Festival goers will have an option to donate to Goa Outreach while watching the event as well as in the days preceding the festival.

THANK YOU TO GOA SUNSPLASH

A Huge thank you to Goa Sunsplash who chose Goa Outreach as their charity this year for the Goa Sunplash Digital Event.

The artists and supporters kindly donated around ?1100 to support us and give respect to the artists and organisers of the event. THANK YOU!

The page which was open just a few days, but if you still want to donate you can do this through our website. Thank you to everyone!

However much Robert likes to have a quiet birthday, it never seems to happen as a good group of the children remember each year. This year he was treated to 4 birthday cakes (Thank you Gopi, Acchelal, Gunjan, Kaveri, Savita, Kalpana, Jhanvi and Budhmati), he also was given chocolate and other gifts (Thank you Aparna, Kajal, Swijal and Satayam), and these wonderful drawings were given by the very talented Papu (Thank you!!).

Thank you to all his friends, children and family who wished him - he had a long, tiring but ultimately enjoyable day...

Since Christmas things haven't slowed down at Goa Outreach as Robert has been helping a young woman who has been suffering from Malnutrition and it was hoped that just some TLC and a good diet would help, but sadly she needed to be admitted to GMC at the beginning of this week as she was not improving.

Since then Robert has been visiting her every day and ensuring she has the items needed to keep her stay as comfortable as possible.

The straining thing is finding help to stay at the hospital at night in the women's ward. Indian hospitals expect someone (usually a family member) to stay with them and act like a nurse, giving medicine and keeping them comfortable. She has no immediate family able to stay and yesterday a friend of Robs who was going to stay has had to do the same for someone in her family who was admitted yesterday. So we are still on the lookout for someone.

Fingers crossed we will be able to find someone for today and for the next 10 days (which she is expected to stay admitted).

Hopefully, once she has put on some weight, she will be able to return and things will improve.

As its 10:30 pm here on New Year's Eve I better start by wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year. Thank you to everyone who has supported us through the turbulent times of 2020. Hopefully 2021 will be the brighter future we all deserve.

Here are the final photos from our Christmas Celebrations, the college students we help had the chance of going to Palolem Beach in South Goa, this was the furthest we have taken them and I don't think any of them had previously been to Palolem so it was a great day out for them.

Nearly all of them were 18 or over so the day was not quite as hectic as our previous two parties. It took around 2.5 hours to ride down on a collection of motorbikes, most of the older boys had licenses so instead of hiring a bus we went down in twos and made the trip itself a part of the day out. We had planned to set off at 6am (Robert was ready), although most arrived around 7 am and I think we left around 7.30 in the end.

Even though it was a long way to ride, it was still enjoyable in the cool morning air. Once we reached we walked down the beautiful beach and found a room for 300 rs to keep our belongings for the day. We then headed north through a small tidal river to a rocky area where they enjoyed splashing, exploring, taking photos and chatting. It was so quiet and chilled.

By 2 pm we were getting a little hungry so we headed back and found a beach shack and had a glorious meal, and then finally headed back home before it got dark