Katrina Ann Volunteers!
Katrina (right) and Lelaina (left) helping out during the KMP Mine’s Book Fair!Katrina Ann has been volunteering in Kechara Saraswati Arts (KSA) for the past few months. Both her parents and her began helping out at KSA while preparations were being made for the new gompa opening. They helped to bead the pearls for Vajrayogini’s skirt and was seen till late at night helping out at the new gompa with her two school friends, Lelaina and Jia Ven.
Katrina Ann is 16 years old and still studying in school. When she heard that Melissa (Julia Tan’s, Vice-President of KSK, daughter) has been volunteering her weekends and holiday time to help out in the tortoise and aviary sanctuary, she was inspired to do the same.
So on New Years Eve, she came in to the Ladrang for the 1st time to get orientated and help out in the Ladrang animal sanctuary!
She first did 3 prostration and offered a Khata in the audience room to set her motivation. Then Joy (Ladrang staff) gave her an orientation on ‘Volunteering in the Ladrang’: the tortoise and aviary section, before she started.
Just 2 weeks ago, Julian helped out, volunteering in the animal sanctuary too. It’s nice to see young people caring for animals.
1. Katrina cleaning the tortoise pond, picking up dry leaves in the pond and ensuring they have clean water to swim in later.
2. Katrina having her 1st day, 1st hand experience in the Tsem Ladrang aviary.
It is very good for young people to volunteer in activities that help them develop empathy and care.
7. Katrina kindly cleans and gives fresh drinking water for the tortoises.
Katrina is a Gem!
Watching her carry out her volunteer help out in the various activities is a joy. You can see she really have a knack and love for the creative arts and the amount of patience she has!
Her enthusiasm and passion just shines – I believe everyone who has ever been at KSA during the holidays helping out can see that!
Katrina and her 2 friends Lelaina and Jia Ven were more than fantastic doing the beading for the Buddha Vajrayogini’s skirt and bracelets. Their relentless pursuit for excellence is shown in the doing ,undoing, redoing of beading- just to get that perfect length, shape of beadwork right. They are really good at beading!
I am very happy to see Katrina volunteering in other departments – the same goes to the rest of our teens who have been lending a helping hand always with smiles on their faces!
How nice to see a fellow youth spending time doing Dharma work.
By doing Dharma work, it not only benefit other people but also ourselves. It opens up our mind to understand everything and everyone around us better. Very often, it makes us reflect on what we had been doing in the past (both good and bad) and how we can do those things better now. Better still how we can use our abilities to benefit more people and other beings.
There really is no right time to start doing Dharma work. If I want to avoid, I can have a million valid excuses. But where will that lead me to? At least by doing Dharma work, I know I will be benefiting all sentient beings directly or indirectly.
Personally I am still very new to all these and am still studying, working and partying. But I no longer will avoid doing Dharma work whenever my services are needed. I will take the initiative and make effort to do Dharma work as much as possible.
To do or not to do, its all in the mind!
I know Katrina at KSA when she was volunteering to do pearl beading for a rush job for the skirt on the statue of Vajrayogini before the opening of the new Gompa. With the little time I know her I can give comments without hesitation. She is ever ready to help in any department when she is requested. Her close friends Lalaina and Jia Wen also has the same attitude. People say birds of a feather flock together. Katrina has taken over her mother Sophie’s good qualities. Sophie is also a very active volunteer in Kechara House departments especially KSA. Katrina told me that after she has finished her studies she would like to take up Veterinary as her career. Her wish is to help in the Animal Sanctuary which Rinpoche is setting up.