GOA SUDHAROP ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION, 5 JAN, 2011 – A SUMMARY

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The Goa Sudharop Annual Awards Presentation was held at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim, Goa on 5th January 2011. Goa Sudharop is a non-profit, volunteer NGO working for the betterment of Goa and Goans worldwide. In his welcome address to the large gathering, Mr. George Pinto, co-founder of Goa Sudharop expressed warm thanks to the donors, sponsors and well-wishers who have been supporting the organization for the last 10 years. He also mentioned in particular, octogenarian Mr. Percival Noronha and nonagenarian Mr. Mickey Correia who were present on the occasion, thanking them for their continued support. Mr. Pinto also had a very special word of commendation for Goa Sudharop’s Executive Director in Goa, Mr. Ibonio D’Souza, who has been working for the organization for several years now on a purely voluntary basis. He said that “this year we celebrated the Goan Volunteer Spirit and we are awarding six members of the general public. But if we could award one of our own, we would certainly award Ibonio D’Souza”. He added that Mr. Ibonio D’Souza has helped organize more than 50 events during the last 6 years and has been “selflessly upbeat and optimistic, and his will-do, can-do attitude has shepherded us through this decade”.

In a reference to the several issues Goa faces, Mr. Pinto said that while on one level the problems may seem intimidating, yet at an individual level we can each do our little bit. He explained that even if it is something very small, we must each of us contribute what we can in terms of time, money or skill, adding, “We cannot just sit back and complain and criticize the system. We have to get involved”.

The Goa Sudharop theme for the year 2010 was the “Goan Volunteer Spirit” and six awardees were presented on the occasion with Goa Sudharop Volunteer Service Awards for their outstanding volunteer work as follows:

1) Ramesh Gauns - for his tireless efforts to highlight the irreparable damage being caused to Goa's ecology by indiscriminate and unbridled mining activity in the state.

2) Geraldine Fernandes - for spearheading and sustaining a well-coordinated campaign against mega projects in Goan villages which destroy the village character and fragile infrastructure.

3) JoeGoaUk - for his quiet and unpublicized sustained efforts in creating awareness of different facets of Goan life, locally and internationally.

4) Anthony D'Silva - for his long-term involvement in social activism, and environmental awareness and protection activities.

5) Akshada Bandekar - for her selfless efforts at very tender age in raising funds for needy causes through her concerts and singing talent.

6) Swati Kerkar - for her heroic and far-sighted campaign in the village of Keri in particular and in the State in general, against establishment of Special Economic Zones.

Scholarship awards each comprising of Rs. 5000/- cash and a Certificate of Merit were awarded to meritorious and financially deserving students, Sidraya Naik, Cavelossim and Violet Jesuina Vaz, from Macasana. An annual scholarship award, sponsored from this year onwards, by the friends of the late Dr. Ganapathi Mauze of USA/Cansaulim in his memory, was awarded to Master Manjit Borkar of St. Thomas High School, Cansaulim. Goa Sudharop also made donations to the following institutions caring for destitute children - Peace Haven, Caranzalem, Nitya Seva Society, Rivona, Nava Jyoti Rehabilitation Centre, Tivim, Care and Compassion, Taleigao, St. Anthony’s Institute & Orphanage, Duler and St. Anthony’s Convent, Agassaim. Goa Sudharop also secured from the Foundation for Excellence Inc. U.S.A., full scholarships for the higher education of two Goan girl students studying in professional colleges. The students who received this award were Miss Cleofina Furtado doing her M.M.B.S at Goa Medical College and Miss Charlotte D’Silva doing her B.E. at the Goa College of Engineering, Farmagudi.

The function, compered by Valerie Rodrigues, was enlivened by beautiful traditional Goan dances performed by talented student performers.

Mr. Ibonio D'Souza, Executive Director, Goa Sudharop informed that Goa Sudharop happily completes a decade of fruitful work in volunteer service for Goa and Goans which was one of the reasons for choosing the theme for 2010 as the “Year of the Goan Volunteer Spirit”. He said, “Goa Sudharop believes in the promise of our youth and many of this year’s activities were geared towards the youth so as to inculcate in them the spirit of volunteer service and make them socially and spiritually conscious of their responsibilities, enabling them to make a difference to our ailing society”. He then presented the Annual Report detailing the various activities carried out during the year 2010. These included six one-day workshops and a 3-day volunteer service camp conducted for students from all over Goa. Several scholarships to students and donations to deserving institutions were also made. Goa Sudharop considers the Konkani language as the core of our Goan identity and consistent with this, also sponsored the publication and launch of “Konknni Cholchitram” a book in Konkani by Isidore Dantas on all past Konkani films and of the publication of  a Konkani booklet, ‘Nillem Rogot”. A donation of Rs. 50,000/- was given during the year to the Goa Chitra ethnographic Museum at Benaulim, towards its maintenance and further development. Goa Sudharop also co-sponsored an all-Goa two-day musical organized by Vidhya Vikas Mandal at Margao and an inter-school value-based skit competition conducted by St. Rock’s High School, Velim. For the second year in succession, 15 trees were planted (with two years full maintenance) in the campus of the Damodar College of Commerce and Economics, Margao. The Goa Sudharop Youth Wing also organized a book collection drive and a flip-flop challenge. Through this, books collected by youth in the US will be distributed to libraries across Goa.  So also flip-flops (sandals) will be distributed to financially deserving children all over Goa. The first donation of sandals has already been made to children from the Government Primary School, Panzarcone, Cuncolim. Mr. Ibonio D’Souza ended by thanking all those who had supported the organization in various ways.

Goa Sudharop and it’s supporters have always worked in different ways to build a better Goa and to that effect, the last item on the program was a panel discussion on “Rooting out corruption in Goa”. The moderator for the discussion was eminent media person Sandesh Prabhudesai while the panelists for the discussion were active campaigners for social change, Ramesh Gauns, Sabina Martins, Pravin Sabnis and Soter D’Souza. Sandesh Prabhudesai explained that the discussion was not just to talk about corruption which is something we all know about. The real purpose of the dialogue was instead to pinpoint the root causes of corruption, to introspect on whether we ourselves are responsible in some way or other for the problem and most importantly, to see how we can address the issue. The lively discussion threw up some interesting points. Pravin Sabnis expressed the view that we somehow seem to have lost our sense of community, our principles and values, accountability and our sense of responsibility. Soter D’Souza pointed out how we ourselves often have our double standards, wherein on one hand we talk against corruption and then ourselves approach corrupt forces for donations and other support. Sabina Martins explained that corruption was not only about making money but about the resultant power and the way this power ultimately influences decision making. Ramesh Gauns spoke about how, amongst other things, donations to temples and churches are accepted without any questions regarding the sources of the donation and consequently how religious sanction gets somehow accorded to such donations. Several members of the audience also shared interesting points of view. Adv. Radharao Gracias who was in the audience was later invited to join the panel and express his views. A number of useful suggestions emerged from the discussion. Panelists pointed out that wherever there has been collective getting together, success has inevitably followed. We need to put proper laws and systems in place to stem the rot. Ways were suggested of introducing transparency that would consequently reduce the chances of corruption. Rich or poor, all of us have to follow the law and we need to understand that we each have to take on our own individual responsibilities which will ultimately lead to a change. Even if difficult, we ourselves have to have the courage to stand up for our principles and values.

To view a the footage of the discussion click here