Fulfilling year for GBE

Two years after the lockdown due to the pandemic which affected activities, Ganv Bhavancho Ekvott had a truly fulfilling year as revealed at its Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) held on 4th December 2022 at its regular meeting place. Some of the projects taken up after a break were a resounding success and the organization organized some projects for the first time since its inception in 2008. The enthused members including new ones also suggested a plethora of projects to be taken up next year thus promising another eventful and memorable year for GBE.

The Managing Committee in general and Francis Coutinho in particular were accorded a standing ovation for the tremendous work done in the year gone by. At the last AGM held on 23rd October 2021 a new managing committee was elected with Sita Antao as the General Secretary. However, Sita resigned from the post and Francis Coutinho who was the Joint Secretary assumed charge as General Secretary and did a wonderful job earning him a standing ovation.

In his four minute welcome address President John Fernandes while complimenting all the members particularly the female members for making the various activities a resounding success, reiterated that the organization will continue its work in keeping the village clean and green. “Team work makes dreams come true,” he said while soliciting the continued support from members. Incidentally John spoke in Konklish which was mostly in Konkani with a spattering of English.

The General Secretary presented his annual report next which was supported with a slide show picturing what he was reading and this lasted for a little over half an hour. He listed the various activities carried out by the organization which were: Roadside and open space cleanliness drive, Christmas Party for senior citizens, helping disabled get prosthesis, football coaching camp, litany or ladainha, Vanamahotsava or tree plantation, Snakebite Awareness and Mitigation programme, Discover Goa, Screening for breast cancer, visiting the inmates of the alberque, Eye camp, staging a Konkani natak, installing mirrors at road junctions and door to door garbage collection in both villages. Of these Christmas party for senior citizens, ladainha, visit to the alberque, tree plantation and Discover Goa were held after a pandemic induced break and providing prosthesis to the needy, football coaching camp for children, snakebite awareness programme, screening for breast cancer and staging a Konkani natak were done for the first time.

Salient points or highlights of some of the projects:

In keeping with the avowed aim of GBE to keep the twin villages of Chandor-Cavorim and Guirdolim clean, roadside and open spaces cleanliness drives were held regularly in collaboration with Chandor Club, Guirdolim Club, Chandor Seamen’s Association and Villa Marex. Besides, GBE also collected garbage from households in the two villages particularly when the panchayats were managed by an administrator. Besides collecting dry garbage GBE also collected pampers at their own cost. The collected waste was disposed off through the Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation.

The Christmas Party for senior citizens was held on 19th December and for the first time at Mushroom Gardens in Guirdolim. It was a resounding success as 233 senior citizens attended it and enjoyed themselves. As usual, the participants were served with snacks and the party ended with lunch.

GBE helped some needy people by providing them with prosthesis which were provided by a Pune based company. The beneficiaries included a person who was provided with a hip brace after his hip was crushed when a bus he was repairing at Sawantwadi collapsed on him and also another person who has been crippled in an accident when an ambulance driver rammed into him at the entrance to the district hospital thus leaving him without any sensation from his sternum. Besides financial help was given to some others including a lady undergoing chemoteraphy. All the expenses incurred in these were borne by a well-wisher of the organization.

For the first time GBE organized a football coaching camp for children and this brainchild of the President John Fernandes earned the organization a lot of appreciation and good will. The participating 45 children, including 10 girls, were trained by A, C and D class recognized coaches. While four coaches including Agostinho Antao from Guirdolim trained the participants they were ably supported by 10 support staff who were mostly GBE members. Two young footballers from the villages, namely Fitzroy Gomes and Valdamer Gomes were also felicitated at the concluding ceremony of this camp as they represented FC Goa at Bangalore which is now called Bengalaru.

 

 

The annual ladainha was another project taken up after a gap of two years. As against the earlier practice of climbing the hillock at Ghottmorod to hold it, this year the lsdainha was held at a cross at the foothill on 28th May 2022 and was attended by many members along with some residents living near the cross. In all four hymns were sung with the first in Latin and the others in Konkani. Anthony Pereira who led the singing also said a short prayer for the welfare of GBE members and its projects. In keeping with GBE’s motive for environment protection, no crackers were lit during the programme and no waste was left at the site at the end as members collected all the waste including tissue papers. Incidentally in keeping with the age old tradition boiled grams with coconut pieces were one of the snacks served to the participants.

GBE observed Vanamahotsava in a never before conducted manner as 500 saplings of flowering, medicinal and fruit bearing trees were planted in a programme that was launched on 5th July 2022. In all around 360 flowering trees like yellow and pink chanpas, yellow, red and orange gulmohars and Santna saplings along with some neem were planted. Besides fruit bearing trees like almond or badam, jamun, amla, jackfruit, grapefruit, guava, tamarind and chikoo saplings were planted. Around 150 of them were planted in Chandor Church property including the 15 that were replaced in front of the church leading to the Monte where GBE had planted saplings earlier. All the saplings planted were provided with tree guards and arrangements have been made to water them for three years.

A Snake bite awareness and mitigation programme was held on 8th June 2022 in collaboration with Chandor Club, Guirdolim Club and Chandor Seamen Association where around 100 villagers participated and learnt a lot about snakes and what to do in case of a snake bite.

 

 

 

 

 

After a gap of two years, the much awaited Discover Goa project was held on 10th and 11th September. The focus this time was primarily on the museums and hence the Museum of Christian Art, Indian Customs and Central Excise Museum, All About Alcohol Museum, Aguada Jail Museum, Museum of Houses and Mario Miranda Gallery along with Rachol Seminary and the only beer brewery in the State were visited.

On 21st September 2022, a screening for breast cancer was held in Goa in view of the fact that this malady has emerged as the highest killer of women in India. Fortunately of the 155 ladies who were screened by Yuvraj Singh Foundation doctors, non tested positive.

Initiated by GBE, local MLA Yuri Alemao who was appointed the Leader of Opposition was felicitated on behalf of the residents of the twin villages in collaboration with Chandor Club, Guirdolim Club, Chandor Seamen’s Association and Guirdolim Chandor Veterans. He was felicitated for being loyal to the party on whose ticket he was elected as MLA and respecting the wishes of his voters.

After a gap of two years the inmates of the Home for the Aged at Chandor managed by St Vincent de Paul Society were visited by GBE members on 16th October 2022. They were entertained by showing them the ever popular old Konkani songs sung by legendary Alfred Rose, his wife Rita Rose and daughter Alria Rose, the ever famous Lorna and also songs from the Konkani movie Amchem Noxib.

On 5th November, GBE had an interaction with the members of the Chandor Cavorim Village Panchayat where various ideas were exchanged with all the seven panchayat members and GBE offered all its help and co-operation to the panchayat.

On 12th November 2022, GBE organized an eye check up camp in collaboration with Matoshree Seva Dham, Arogya Seva Trust from Mumbai. Of the 252 villagers who checked their eyesight 188 got spectacles there itself. Glasses for 19 of them were sponsored by a well-wisher of GBE.

 

 

Treasurer Anand Shirodkar presented the statement of accounts which showed that the organization had a surplus after deducting the expenditure incurred during the year from the donations received at the same time. He agreed to post the balance sheet on the GBE group for members’ knowledge and was also asked to invest some of the amount in savings account in a fixed deposit. Anand lamented that in some cases instead of showing the transaction through the GBE the donors were making the payment directly and said this should stop.

The enthused members came up with various ideas for activities to be taken up in the current year at the brain storming session held. It was decided to immediately approach the Canara Bank authorities to take up various matters including harassment for senior citizens and lack of staff knowing the local language.

Another matter suggested by members was to do something about the mess created at the school and manage the traffic there. It was suggested to introduce the “Lollipop Lady” scheme practiced in the United Kingdom besides installing traffic signals and painting the speed breaker.

It was also suggested to promote the use of Balwadi amongst the villagers as it was a good facility that was being used by the migrants primarily because locals are avoiding it. As it was observed that members did not even know the existence of balwadis, it was suggested to study these premises first.

Members also suggested to take up health care matters more regularly and to ensure that various government facilities are availed by the villagers.

Other projects suggested were flower pot competition, landmark entrances to the twin villages, free vaccination of dogs through GAWT, debate or talk on a relevant topic, Mando competition in memory of former president Joe Antao.

The General Body also noted that 12 of the 19 managing committee members of Chandor Club elected recently were GBE members. Besides, the president and general secretary of Guirdolim Club, president and general secretary of Seamen’s association of Chandor were members of GBE. Besides GBE member Fiel Babazinho Dias was elected to the Chandor-Cavorim village panchayat while Joao Peixote who is the deputy sarpanch of Guirdolim has now joined GBE. They were all congratulated and offered all help and support from GBE.