The 'Lake of Stars' is the lyrical and poetic nickname given to Lake Malawi. It has also been sometimes referred to as the "Lake of a Thousand Shining Stars".
The Lake has always been seen in Malawi has having magical or spiritual properties. The Lake has also been known as Lake Nyasa during the colonial period where Malawi was part of the Empire of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It is known as Lake Niassa in Portuguese in neighboring Mozambique. It is also presently known as by Malawians. The word for lake in chichewa is "nyanja". As the "Lake of Stars", the lake is romanticised as a lake of magical properties.
Romanticism of the Lake
Livingstone Origins
In historical context, it is believed that when David Livingston first saw the lake he coined the term "Lake of Stars" because the reflection of the sun at sunset, moon at night and stars in the lake could be seen in the lake.
Fisherman Origins
The name is also used as a metaphor to describe the lights from the lanterns of the fisherman in Malawi on their boats, which resemble, from a distance, stars in the sky
Images of the Lake in Literature
The Lake has been the subject of a lot of Malawian literature. In literature, the name is said to have originated because of the sun glittering off the lake during sunset.
It is also known as the Lake of Storms, for the unpredictable and extremely violent gales that sweep through the area.
Malawian Religion
Malawian traditional religions see a spiritual connection with the lake that explains the existence of mankind.
Sculpture
Malawians like Yao artists Joshua Manzi use the lake as inspiration for their artwork. figures.
Lake of Stars Music Festival
An annual Music festival in Malawi on the lake, called the "Lake of Stars" Music Festival, attracts Malawians and tourists from around the world each year. The festival has helped put Malawian musicians on the international scene and has been voted by the London newspaper, The Independent and Times, as one of the top 20 Music Festivals in the world. It is a charity event whose proceeds go to orphans in Malawi.
The Lake has always been seen in Malawi has having magical or spiritual properties. The Lake has also been known as Lake Nyasa during the colonial period where Malawi was part of the Empire of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It is known as Lake Niassa in Portuguese in neighboring Mozambique. It is also presently known as by Malawians. The word for lake in chichewa is "nyanja". As the "Lake of Stars", the lake is romanticised as a lake of magical properties.
Romanticism of the Lake
Livingstone Origins
In historical context, it is believed that when David Livingston first saw the lake he coined the term "Lake of Stars" because the reflection of the sun at sunset, moon at night and stars in the lake could be seen in the lake.
Fisherman Origins
The name is also used as a metaphor to describe the lights from the lanterns of the fisherman in Malawi on their boats, which resemble, from a distance, stars in the sky
Images of the Lake in Literature
The Lake has been the subject of a lot of Malawian literature. In literature, the name is said to have originated because of the sun glittering off the lake during sunset.
It is also known as the Lake of Storms, for the unpredictable and extremely violent gales that sweep through the area.
Malawian Religion
Malawian traditional religions see a spiritual connection with the lake that explains the existence of mankind.
Sculpture
Malawians like Yao artists Joshua Manzi use the lake as inspiration for their artwork. figures.
Lake of Stars Music Festival
An annual Music festival in Malawi on the lake, called the "Lake of Stars" Music Festival, attracts Malawians and tourists from around the world each year. The festival has helped put Malawian musicians on the international scene and has been voted by the London newspaper, The Independent and Times, as one of the top 20 Music Festivals in the world. It is a charity event whose proceeds go to orphans in Malawi.
The Abundant Life Foundation (ALF) is a non-governmental humanitarian organization of Christian origin in Thailand. The foundation was established in 2003 by Christian missionaries Charlie and Cathy Milbrodt of Living Word Ministries International to run Abundant Life Children's Homes - shelters for needy children from mountain and other areas of the country (Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiangmai, Chiangrai and Phayao). The five provinces are considered the major sources for the young people involved in the prostitution trade and human trafficking.
ALF provides food, housing, medical help, clothing and education. It aims to have a network of outreach centers with shelters for orphans and underprivileged children (each receiving about 100 children a year), Bible schools and churches in the provinces of Thailand. Abundant Life Children's Home is financially supported by LeSEA Global Feed The Hungry institution.
Abundant Life Foundation is headquartered in Chiang Mai.
ALF provides food, housing, medical help, clothing and education. It aims to have a network of outreach centers with shelters for orphans and underprivileged children (each receiving about 100 children a year), Bible schools and churches in the provinces of Thailand. Abundant Life Children's Home is financially supported by LeSEA Global Feed The Hungry institution.
Abundant Life Foundation is headquartered in Chiang Mai.
The British Utonagan is a new breed being created to resemble a Timber wolf, but with no wolf content. Some of these early breeders of the original dogs "the Utonagan" left little room to establish a healthy and diverse breed for the amount of popularity these dogs gained, there are not enough lines to enable the breed to grow. The British Utonagan is the foundation of a new breed using the backbone of the Utonagan, Northern Inuit and some of the founding breeds Husky, German Shepherd and Alaskan Malamute there by establishing healthy foundations for a breed that has a future. The British Utonagan is a new dog breed being creating in the UK and the creators hope to eventually apply for Kennel Club recognition for this new rare breed.
Appearance
The British Utonagan is a large dog, bred to resemble a wolf as closely as possible. The breed has a thick double coat that appears quite different in winter and summer. The guard hair Should be wirey and waterproof and the under coat dense and soft. The colours can be silver grey, timber, wolf grey and a characteristic wolf mask. It also comes in all white, all black and Ink Marked, meaning white with markings of brown, silver or black which look like ink spilled on blotting paper
Breed Standard with permission from the British Utonagan Association
British Utonagan Breed Standard
Temperament
The British Utonagan is a dog with a superb temperament towards humans; this in turn makes for a wonderful family dog and companion. They love the company of people plus they get along well with other family pets, they can however have a prey drive and when teenagers can sometimes suffer same sex dog aggression if not trained correctly. They are boisterous in play, and bore easily. A very intelligent dog that does well in most activities. They do not like being on their own and should have company canine or human at all times.
Care
The British Utonagan needs firm but fair handling and a good training regime when young, they can be quite destructive when bored or left alone, they are a very sensitive dog and react to their environment.
Puppy classes are a must and good solid ground lines need to be put in place at an early age if all these things are adhered to the British Utonagan will be a loving and well trained pet.
They like all large breeds should never be over excersised when young until they have fully grown to ensure against damaging their bones, but once mature they excel in all activities, agility, obedience, rigging, scootering, showing.
The British Utonagan's coat is very easy to manage and will moult twice a year at this time they drop all of their soft undercoat and you can get a load of hair out of them, a trip to the groomers at this time is advisable if the dog lives indoors.
British Utonagan do well living indoors or outside, when kept outside they will produce a thick dense coat like the Malamute which keeps them very warm and dry, care should be taken in hot weather not to let them overheat.
Health
Some of the ancestors of these dogs have had health problems so all British Utonagan Breeders test
Hip Scores
Elbow Scores
Eye Screens
There has been a few cases of epilepsy, addisons and heart problems which are being constantly researched to clear out of the older lines to enable the Founder Dogs to be Healthy good specimens as the grounding of a new healthy breed
Always go to an Accredited breeder and ensure that parents have had the relevant tests.
History
A select amount of breeders in the United Kingdom started off a club to breed wolf look a like dogs, at the beginning of this conception there was a split between the breeders and the dogs became Northern Inuits and Utonagan. The Northern Inuit Society have now a great many dogs on their database but sadly the Utonagan breeders all split up and what was left as a gene pool for this breed was far too small. Some of the original lines of Utonagan became bred in the mix for the Tamascan dog which has had recent wolfdog content mixed in, another group also decided to use this mix and again incorporated wolf dog.
This has caused much of an outcry as the Saarloos Wolfhound and the Czechoslovakian Wolf Hound have only recently in this country became available without a license, and the established breeders from where they originated are not happy with the breeds being mixed before they are established in the UK.
The Utonagan started off as a few breeders mixing wolf looking dogs together to produce a wolflike breed, this conception was taken by the British Utonagan Association who cleared out the health and removed inbreeding and started to find and put together a good founding stock, Utonagan, Northern Inuit, German Shepherd, Malamute and Husky. Thus the British Utonagan began. The records of all the foundation stock and their progeny are being meticulously kept along with health tests and results, and show and achievement records. The breed hope to produce a stud book for the Kennel Club once they reach the goal of enough clean separate lines and 10 clear full generation of British Utonagan. This is well on the way.
Apart from the Northern Inuit the British Utonagan is the ONLY wolf look a like breed that has not mixed in any wolf dog in their foundations this to ensure the best temperament for a family pet.
The British Utonagan has created much interest in America due to their wolf hybrid laws and also the constant campaigning to stop people having wolves or hybrids as pets due to natural state of their temperament and manner.
Appearance
The British Utonagan is a large dog, bred to resemble a wolf as closely as possible. The breed has a thick double coat that appears quite different in winter and summer. The guard hair Should be wirey and waterproof and the under coat dense and soft. The colours can be silver grey, timber, wolf grey and a characteristic wolf mask. It also comes in all white, all black and Ink Marked, meaning white with markings of brown, silver or black which look like ink spilled on blotting paper
Breed Standard with permission from the British Utonagan Association
British Utonagan Breed Standard
Temperament
The British Utonagan is a dog with a superb temperament towards humans; this in turn makes for a wonderful family dog and companion. They love the company of people plus they get along well with other family pets, they can however have a prey drive and when teenagers can sometimes suffer same sex dog aggression if not trained correctly. They are boisterous in play, and bore easily. A very intelligent dog that does well in most activities. They do not like being on their own and should have company canine or human at all times.
Care
The British Utonagan needs firm but fair handling and a good training regime when young, they can be quite destructive when bored or left alone, they are a very sensitive dog and react to their environment.
Puppy classes are a must and good solid ground lines need to be put in place at an early age if all these things are adhered to the British Utonagan will be a loving and well trained pet.
They like all large breeds should never be over excersised when young until they have fully grown to ensure against damaging their bones, but once mature they excel in all activities, agility, obedience, rigging, scootering, showing.
The British Utonagan's coat is very easy to manage and will moult twice a year at this time they drop all of their soft undercoat and you can get a load of hair out of them, a trip to the groomers at this time is advisable if the dog lives indoors.
British Utonagan do well living indoors or outside, when kept outside they will produce a thick dense coat like the Malamute which keeps them very warm and dry, care should be taken in hot weather not to let them overheat.
Health
Some of the ancestors of these dogs have had health problems so all British Utonagan Breeders test
Hip Scores
Elbow Scores
Eye Screens
There has been a few cases of epilepsy, addisons and heart problems which are being constantly researched to clear out of the older lines to enable the Founder Dogs to be Healthy good specimens as the grounding of a new healthy breed
Always go to an Accredited breeder and ensure that parents have had the relevant tests.
History
A select amount of breeders in the United Kingdom started off a club to breed wolf look a like dogs, at the beginning of this conception there was a split between the breeders and the dogs became Northern Inuits and Utonagan. The Northern Inuit Society have now a great many dogs on their database but sadly the Utonagan breeders all split up and what was left as a gene pool for this breed was far too small. Some of the original lines of Utonagan became bred in the mix for the Tamascan dog which has had recent wolfdog content mixed in, another group also decided to use this mix and again incorporated wolf dog.
This has caused much of an outcry as the Saarloos Wolfhound and the Czechoslovakian Wolf Hound have only recently in this country became available without a license, and the established breeders from where they originated are not happy with the breeds being mixed before they are established in the UK.
The Utonagan started off as a few breeders mixing wolf looking dogs together to produce a wolflike breed, this conception was taken by the British Utonagan Association who cleared out the health and removed inbreeding and started to find and put together a good founding stock, Utonagan, Northern Inuit, German Shepherd, Malamute and Husky. Thus the British Utonagan began. The records of all the foundation stock and their progeny are being meticulously kept along with health tests and results, and show and achievement records. The breed hope to produce a stud book for the Kennel Club once they reach the goal of enough clean separate lines and 10 clear full generation of British Utonagan. This is well on the way.
Apart from the Northern Inuit the British Utonagan is the ONLY wolf look a like breed that has not mixed in any wolf dog in their foundations this to ensure the best temperament for a family pet.
The British Utonagan has created much interest in America due to their wolf hybrid laws and also the constant campaigning to stop people having wolves or hybrids as pets due to natural state of their temperament and manner.
Jesters Care for Kids - charity organization for underprivileged children, primarily on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. Established and managed by the Jesters MC and a committee of local expatriate foreigners on behalf of the Good Shepherd Foundation.
Since 1998, it has hosted an annual charity drive for gathering donations for its projects and beneficiaries. The Children's charity drive in 2007 generated just over 7.25 million baht or US$213,235 for children’s charities, and other non profit organizations that support poor or disadvantaged children in the area. Since 1998, the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drives have raised over 38 million baht (approx. USD$888, 000) for underprivileged children on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand.
The Fountain of Life center in north Pattaya is still one of the main beneficiaries of the charity drive, and its main purpose is to get poor kids, whose families do not even have money to register them with the government, into the government school and health care systems. Without the government registrations these kids are destined for a life on the streets with no money nor health care nor education.
The annual drive begins in June each year and culminates around the 2nd and 3rd weekend of September with a children's charity fair on the 2nd Sunday and charity fund raising party night party for the adults the following Saturday evening.
Among "Jesters Care for Kids" beneficiaries are:
* Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind in Naklua
* Ban Jing Jai in Nong Prue
* Happiness Camp
* Rayong province schools
* Helping Hands School Lunch program in South
* The Fountain of Life Center for Children in North Pattaya
* Pattaya Drop In Center
* Rayong Central Prison, scholarship for children of inmates
The most important feature about the Jesters Charity Drive is that it is organized, run and managed by a team of volunteers who not only ensure that every amount of money possible that is raised, gets to the direct benefit of the children, they even oversee the distribution and management of funds to ensure that monies do not get misappropriated or used unwisely.
Even though some of the sponsorships and donations to the charity drive are not cash donations (such as essential goods and services) the charity drive distribution of funds to the beneficiaries is still an impressively high percentage of the monies raised such as 2006's distribution of 97.5% of money raised.
By information of the organization web-site, a children's fair and the fund raising finale - the Charity Night are planned to take place in 2007.
Since 1998, it has hosted an annual charity drive for gathering donations for its projects and beneficiaries. The Children's charity drive in 2007 generated just over 7.25 million baht or US$213,235 for children’s charities, and other non profit organizations that support poor or disadvantaged children in the area. Since 1998, the Jesters Care for Kids Charity Drives have raised over 38 million baht (approx. USD$888, 000) for underprivileged children on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand.
The Fountain of Life center in north Pattaya is still one of the main beneficiaries of the charity drive, and its main purpose is to get poor kids, whose families do not even have money to register them with the government, into the government school and health care systems. Without the government registrations these kids are destined for a life on the streets with no money nor health care nor education.
The annual drive begins in June each year and culminates around the 2nd and 3rd weekend of September with a children's charity fair on the 2nd Sunday and charity fund raising party night party for the adults the following Saturday evening.
Among "Jesters Care for Kids" beneficiaries are:
* Pattaya Redemptorist School for the Blind in Naklua
* Ban Jing Jai in Nong Prue
* Happiness Camp
* Rayong province schools
* Helping Hands School Lunch program in South
* The Fountain of Life Center for Children in North Pattaya
* Pattaya Drop In Center
* Rayong Central Prison, scholarship for children of inmates
The most important feature about the Jesters Charity Drive is that it is organized, run and managed by a team of volunteers who not only ensure that every amount of money possible that is raised, gets to the direct benefit of the children, they even oversee the distribution and management of funds to ensure that monies do not get misappropriated or used unwisely.
Even though some of the sponsorships and donations to the charity drive are not cash donations (such as essential goods and services) the charity drive distribution of funds to the beneficiaries is still an impressively high percentage of the monies raised such as 2006's distribution of 97.5% of money raised.
By information of the organization web-site, a children's fair and the fund raising finale - the Charity Night are planned to take place in 2007.