The Goa Sudharop Annual Awards Presentation held at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim, Goa on 6th Jan, 2009

GOA SUDHAROP ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION

 

1. General welcome by Mrs. Melinda Powell

2. Cultural entertainment
Welcome Indian dance
Song –Theme “Peace”
Goan dance “Kotti Fugddi”
Latin cha cha

3. Address by Chief guest – George Pinto

4. Presentation of awards in accordance with GOA SUDHAROP's theme for 2008 "YEAR OF EDUCATION"

a) a Certificate of Honour and Rupees 15,000/- Cash Award to educationist Prof. Udaya Venkatesh Ballikar.

b) Winners of Goa Sudharop’s Essay Competition for Heads of Goa Schools, on the topic “Education In Goa: What Is Needed?” – Three Prizes: First Prize to Mr. Celso Dias, Headmaster, Our Lady of Succour High School, Nagoa, Verna, Salcete, Goa. Rs. 8,000/-; Second Prize to Mrs. Flavia Verdes, Headmistress, St. Rock’s High School, Tollecanto, Velim, Salcete Goa. Rs. 6,500/-; Third Prize to Mrs. Sharlet Furtado, Headmistress, Deepvihar Primary School, Headland – Sada, Mrmugao.Rs. 5,000/-.

c) Scholarships to financially deserving and meritorious students, of Rs. 5,000/- each to Miss Pratima Bhikru Velip from Govt. High School, Morpila, Quepem and Ashley Rodrigues of Guddi, Salcete. These scholarships are in the name of the late Mrs. Claudina D'Sa, funded by her son through a Rupees 1 lakh grant.

d) Fixed Deposit Certificate of Rs. 1,40,000/- (educational fund) in favour of child Elron Dias, young son of Franky Dias of Raia, Salcete who died in a tragic fire accident a year ago in California,

e) Four Perkins Braille machines to National Association For The Blind, Santa Cruz, Tiswadi. Total cost Rs. 39,000/-.

f) Donation to Daddy’s Home, Margao – school for differently abled children – Rs. 7,500/-,

f) Certificate of Appreciation to Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce, Pilar, for their outstanding partnership with Goa Sudharop, in organizing different educational programmes, as part of Goa Sudharop’s “Year of Education in Goa – 2008” theme.

g) Latest CELESTRON 14 Telescope to The Association of Friends of The Astronomical Society of Goa, costin g several lakhs. Mr. S. Naik and Mr. Percival Noronha of the Society gave brief presentations.

5) Donation for the elderly and sick
a) Medicines worth Rs. 35,000/- to the terminally ill cancer patients at Shanti Avedna Sadan, Loutolim,
b) Donation to St. Jude’s Helping Hand Old Age Home at St. Estevao – Rs. 1,00,000/-

6) Donations in Public Interest
a) Donation to Goa Bhachao Abiyan for preparing a booklet “The Little Empowerment Kit” in respect of Goa Draft Regional Plan 2021. Rs. 40,000/-.
b) Donation to Peaceful Centre- Panchayati Raj, Goa, an NGO, for preparing and dissemination of information/guidance to Gram Sabhas, on the working of Panchayati Raj system. Rs. 30,000/-.

7) Power-point presentation on “Educational Scenario in Goa”, by Fr. Frederick Rodrigues, SFX, Principal, Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce, Pillar.

8) A few words from Dr. Nandita de Souza of Sethu Centre for Child Development & Family Guidance, Altinho, Panjim, who conducted for Goa Sudharop in 2008, observed as “Year of Education” in Goa, four day-long teachers training workshops in different areas in Goa for the benefit of teachers from pre-primary to secondary schools

9) Goa Sudharop’s Report for 2008 and Vote of Thanks by Goa Representative Mr. Ibonio D’Souza

10) Refreshments and conclusion.

Thanks to the donors, volunteers, supporters and well-wishers of Goa Sudharop.

 

 

Report by Goa Sudharop's Representative in Goa, Mr. Ibonio M.B D'Souza, of the activities held during the year 2008

 

Goa Sudharop observed 2008 as “Year of Education” in Goa. We began with a symposium “Building a better Goa” in association with the Council for Social Justice and Peace, held on 24^th May, 2008 at Caritas Hall, Panaji. The purpose was to focus attention on the mounting popular resistance across Goan villages to unplanned mega projects, mining operations and other destructive schemes and to press for devolution of constitutional powers to the panchayats. The speakers were: Mr. Soter D’Souza, Mrs. Patricia Pinto, Mr. Rajan Parrikar and Mr. Pravin Sabnis. Mr. Averthanus L.D. Souza was the moderator.

 

We conducted four fullday teachers training workshops in Margao, Cuncolim, Ponda and Pilar for the benefit of teachers from pre-primery to secondry schools in Goa. About 250 teachers in all participated. The topics covered were: case discussions, handling behaviour problems in school children, classroom management skills, building co-operation in the classroom, discipline policies for schools and stress management for teachers. Each participant was presented with a certificate of participation. The resource persons were: Dr. Nandita D’Souza and Dr. Priti Bakre of Sethu Centre for Child Development and Family Guidance.

 

A workshop for parents on parenting issues “Reading with Kids” was conducted in Margao on 27^th August 2008, the aim being to make learning in the home pleasurable and stressfree and to develop the reading habit that has apparently taken the back seat with TV, computer games, etc. rulling the impressionable minds. The resource person was Sujata Noronha of Bookworm, Panjim.

 

Similarly, on 6^th December 2008 a day’s workshop “Puppetry in the Classroom” specially for pre-primary teachers from South Goa was organized at Vidya Vikas Academy, Margao. It was about how puppetry can be effectively used in the classroom. The workshop was most interesting and productive in that it was marked with lively interaction between the resource persons and most of the participants all through the programme. Participation certificates were presented to every teacher. The resource persons were Sujata Noronha and Elein Mendonsa from Bookworm.

 

A state level seminar “Live Your Values” was organized in association with Value Education Cell of Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce, Pilar, for all Goa college youth and professors, on 29^th November 2008. This seminar was an attempt to undertake a journey of personal growth and value development dealing with various values like: Socio-culture and values, religious tolerance, harmony and acceptance, respect for creation and social responsibility, corruption, terrorism and violence in society, media influence, and impact of information technology.

 

Goa Sudharop conducted an essay contest for heads of all Goa high schools. The topic was: “Education in Goa: What is needed?” The response was good and a host of innovative ideas came forth from participants based on their experience and insights, for holistic education system in Goa.

 

In addition to these activities, and the donations made today, we also gave financial support to Velsao Pale Education Society, Velsao  for purchase of essential equipment to the tune of  Rs. 27,000/-; to Talegao Chess Academy Rs. 12,000/-for promotion of chess in schools;to environmentalist Clinton Vaz towards preparing a Goa-specific waste management manual, Rs. 15,000/-. And, in public interest, we also made our humble contribution to the Council for Social Justice and Peace in their efforts with the government to get the controversial SEZs denotified, which the people of Goa do not want.

 

In all, thanks to our patriotic and generous diaspora donors, Goa Sudharop could deploy in 2008 alone as much as 14 lakhs in the state for various need-based projects towards betterment of Goa and Goans,

 

 

Goa Sudharop is steadfast in its resolve to work for betterment of Goa and Goans worldwide. Some people despair saying Goa is gone or going or already orphaned. Goa Sudharop believes that if each one of us lights his little lamp instead of cursing the darkness, we can flood the world with light divine and banish the oppressive darkness forever. All of us present here today are lovers of Goa, and many are valiant fighters for Goa’s honour at this juncture. Let’s swell those numbers, by ourselves being first the change that we wish to see around! Organisations with avowed objective to serve and save Goa keep on sprouting every other day only to soon cease functioning. This happens as we know because individual egos conflict with common interest. Hence, to be victorious let’s realise that Goa is bigger than us, individuals, and that what is good for mother Goa should be good for us too!

 

We have recently released the 2008 update to “A Mosaic of Memories” – the Goa Sudharop Seniors e-book which can be accessed at the Goa Sudharop website: www.goasudharop.org. Our youngest contributor this time has been a 12-year old girl, Abigail Dos Santos, who penned a tribute to her late grandmother while our senior-most contributor is 95 year old Raymond Fernandes who sent in, not just one, but two articles! Others who sent in their contributions are Ramnath G. Kaare, Tony Fernandes, John Eric Gomes, Akshata Virgincar, Leonid Sequeira, Smita Tamba, Bella Comelo, Damodar Mauzo, Fatima D’Silva, Vinayak Naik, Christine D’Cruz and Chandrakant Keni. We thank each one of them for sharing their interesting reminiscences and touching tributes.

 

And now, as we reach the happy end of our programme with refreshments to follow of course, I hasten to thank heartily our honoured Chief Guest, George Pinto who is one of the co-founders and a Director of Goa Sudharop, and whose vision and passion for Goa keeps us all inspired to follow. We also appreciate and thank Mr. Manuel  Bosco who is also one of  Goa Sudharop’s co-founders,  for being here to cheer us up.

 

We acknowledge  specially  the excellent co-operation and support we had in organizing our various programmes, from Principal Allen Rodrigues of Vidya Vikas Academy, Margao; Fr. Frederick Rodrigues, Principal, Fr. Agnel College of Arts & Commerce,  Pilar,  Dr. Nandita D’Souza and all other individuals and institutions who supported us to observe 2008 as the “Year of Education”.

 

We thank as well all the recipients of our awards today for affording us the opportunity to work with them for a good cause, and we wish them every success in their nobel efforts. As always, Goa Sudharop volunteers Mrs. Melinda Powell and Miss Valerie Rodrigues were most helpful, with their valuable inputs and keen interest.  Thanks to Prudential Media, HCN TV channels, and the press for covering this event. Special thanks also to the student artists from Fr. Agnel College, Pilar whose music, songs and dances helped to enliven this event, under the guidance of their Principal, Fr. Frederick Rodrigues. Thanks also to all those who were kind enough to help us one way or other in organizing this function. And, last, but not the least, we are grateful to each one of you who specially came from far and near to encourage Goa Sudharop, and for the love of Goa we cherish so much. Thank you, and God bless!

 

 

Ibonio M.B.D’Souza,

Goa Representative.