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GOA SUDHAROP ANNUAL AWARDS PRESENTATION

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Goa Sudharop, a non-profit, volunteer organization working for Goa and Goans worldwide held its Annual Awards Presentation at Hotel Mandovi, Panjim, Goa on 5th January 2011. In his welcome address, co-founder Mr. George Pinto expressed warm thanks to the donors, sponsors and well-wishers who have supported Goa Sudharop over the last 10 years. Mr. Pinto also had a special word of commendation for Goa Sudharop Executive Director, Mr. Ibonio D’Souza, who has been working for the organization for several years on a purely voluntary basis. He said, “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 said, “Ibonio D’Souza has been selflessly upbeat and optimistic, and his ‘will-do, can-do’ attitude has helped shepherd us through this decade”. Mr. Pinto added that while the problems Goa faces 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, each of us must 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”.

 
Six awardees, viz. Ramesh Gauns, Geraldine Fernandes, JoeGoaUk, Anthony D'Silva, Akshada Bandekar and Swati Kerkar, were presented with Goa Sudharop Volunteer Service Icon Awards for their outstanding voluntary work for Goa. Goa Sudharop also secured from the Foundation for Excellence Inc. U.S.A., full scholarships for Cleofina Furtado, M.M.B.S student, Goa Medical College and Charlotte D’Silva, B.E. student, Goa College of Engineering, Farmagudi. Scholarships were also awarded to meritorious and financially deserving students, Sidraya Naik, Cavelossim and Violet Jesuina Vaz, Macasana. An annual scholarship award, sponsored by the friends of late Dr. Ganapathi Mauze of USA/Cansaulim, was awarded to Manjit Borkar of St. Thomas High School, Cansaulim. Donations were also made to 6 institutions caring for destitute children. The function, compered by Valerie Rodrigues, also had beautiful traditional Goan dances performed by students of Fr. Agnel College, Pilar. 
 
Mr. Ibonio D’Souza presented the Annual Report of activities. These included six 1-day workshops and a 3-day volunteer service camp for students. Goa Sudharop also sponsored the publication and launch of “Konknni Cholchitram” by Isidore Dantas”. A donation of Rs. 50,000/- was given during the year to the Goa Chitra Museum at Benaulim. Goa Sudharop also co-sponsored an all-Goa musical organized by Vidhya Vikas Mandal, Margao and an inter-school value-based skit competition conducted by St. Rock’s High School, Velim. 15 trees were planted (with two years full maintenance) at the Damodar College of Commerce and Economics, Margao. Through a book collection drive organized by the Goa Sudharop Youth Wing, books collected by youth in the US will shortly be distributed to libraries in Goa.  So also flip-flops (sandals) will be distributed to financially deserving children across 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.
 
A panel discussion on “Rooting out corruption in Goa” was also held on the occasion. The moderator for the discussion was eminent media person Sandesh Prabhudesai while the panelists were active campaigners for social change, Sabina Martins, Ramesh Gauns, Pravin Sabnis and Soter D’Souza. The audience also shared some interesting ideas and a number of useful suggestions emerged from the discussion.