By ALISTAIR BAPTISTA/Sunday, March 30, 2008
THREE Bahrain-based Goans were honoured in India yesterday for their service to the community.
Young Goans Club (YGC) president Francis Correia, Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) vice-chairman Alfredo D'Souza and Bahrain Goans Football League chairman G R Crasto, each received Community Leadership Service awards in recognition of their work that benefited Goans in Bahrain.
They were presented with their awards at the Goan government's NRI Affairs Directorate Indian Expatriates Conference, which took place at the Hotel Mandovi in Panaji, Goa.
Present were Overseas Indian Affairs Union Minister Vayalar Ravi, Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat and Goan government NRI Affairs Commissioner Eduardo Faleiro, who visited Bahrain last December.
Mr Correia, a real estate manager at Ahmed Mansoor Al A'Ali, arrived in Bahrain in 1974 and has provided legal, medical and financial assistance to several expatriates in Bahrain and helped resolve labour disputes.
Mr Correia was honoured by the then Labour and Social Affairs Ministry in 1987 for working with expatriate societies and clubs to celebrate Bahrain National Day. He has been an active member on several YGC managing committees and has organised cultural events.
Mr Correia has also worked with the Mother and Child Welfare Society and Bahrain Mobility International on charity events, as well as organising visits by the Indian state's political, religious and social leaders.
Meanwhile, Mr D'Souza is a founding member of the MWPS and has also worked with the Indian Community Service's Legal Aid Cell. A member of the Royal Society of St George, he has lived in Bahrain for more than 20 years and has also volunteered in the Sacred Heart Church's charity activities and intervened in labour disputes.
Mr D'Souza is also the only expatriate to receive the National Award from the Bahrain Government for service to the community.
Mr Crasto, who won the Goan Review Art Foundation's Man of the Year Award last year, is a popular master of ceremonies at Goan community events.
The Mohammed Jalal and Sons Travel Division manager has co-ordinated with local community groups to honour outstanding sports personalities and stage artists.
Mr Crasto, who has lived in Bahrain for 25 years, also co-ordinated reduced airfares for Goans on Air India during the exposition of the relics of Goan patron St Francis Xavier. A freelance journalist, he also contributes to Konkani magazines.
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Goans from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, UAE receive Leadership Awards
-by gasper crasto / Kuwait
In a brief function 'CONFERENCE ON INDIAN EXPARTRIATES IN THE GULF COUNTRIES' held at the Convention Hall, Hotel Mandovi, Panaji on 29th March 2008, the NRI Affairs Directorate of Goa Government presented Leadership Awards for community service to well known Goans from the Gulf for recognition of their social activities towards the Indian community.
The honorable recipients:
Bahrain: Mr. Francis Correia, Mr. Gabriel R. Crasto, and Mr. Alfred D’Souza.
Kuwait: Dr Jaganath Ramnath Chodankar, Mr Alex Wilson Coelho, and Mr. Carmo Santos
Oman: Dr Mario Carmo de Souza , and Mr Celso Vincent Andre Fernandes
Qatar: Mr Simon D'Silva
UAE: Mr. Ramnath Arjuna Mavlingcar
Dubai: Mr Rockson Rufus Rodrigues
(Delhi): Ms Suman Anand Kurade
The Conference was inaugurated by Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Vayalar Ravi. The function was presided over by Commissioner of NRI Affairs Shri Eduardo Faleiro while Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Digambar Kamat was the Chief Guest.
FRANCIS CORREIA
Francis Correia, hailing from Cansaulim, a resident of Bahrain since 1974, is employed with Ahmed Mansoor Al A’Ali as Manager of the Real Estate Division. He has been involved in community services from the time he arrived into Bahrain and has served the community in different fields. Correia has provided legal, medical and financial aid to a large number of Goans and members of other expatriate communities. Through the Indian Embassy and Ministry of Labour, he has resolved many disputes of laborers and domestic helpers. He has assisted many with sponsorship problems or to find alternate employment. He has actively participated in events to help the local charities as well.
Correia was honoured by the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1987 for his active participation in organizing festivities of expatriate societies and clubs to celebrate the Bahrain National Day.
He was elected as General Secretary of Young Goans Club, way back in 1979 and served on the Managing committee several times. During his tenure with the club he was able to interact with Goans from other Gulf and European Countries in organizing sports and social events.
Correia is the main person involved in organizing Konkani tiatr events in Bahrain with Goan based and local stage artistes which has helped display Goan culture and heritage in the Gulf and keep Konkani alive and popular. He has also used his status and position to organize visits by political, religious, social leaders from Goa. He is currently the President of Young Goans Club.
Correia is also a coordinator of the Konkani Community of the Sacred Heart Church.
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G.R. CRASTO
Gabriel R. Crasto made headlines last year when he was awarded the ‘Man of the Year Award’ by the Goan Review Art Foundation, Mumbai for his services linked to the Goan community in Bahrain and the Konkani language. Crasto, a popular Master Compere (MC) among the Goan community in Bahrain is always at the forefront of social, cultural and sporting events. He has utilized these opportunities to showcase Konkani, Goan culture, heritage and identity of Goans in Bahrain.
“For me, organizing such events is always a dual purpose,” stated Crasto. “It gives an opportunity for the talented members of Goan community based here to display their art and whatever little income is generated from such events is diverted to help the needy.”
In association with other community groups, Crasto has organized functions to felicitate and honor outstanding sportspersons and stage artistes of the Goan origin. He is always at hand to help those in need of his services - either to coordinate with the Indian Embassy or the local Government agencies. A resident of Bahrain for the last 25 years, he is employed with Mohammed Jalal & Sons as Manager in their Travel Division. Being in the travel field, Crasto was influential in obtaining special fares from Air India for Goans during the Exposition of St. Francis Xavier.
A freelance journalist, Crasto hails from Navelim. He covers the activities of Goans in Bahrain through his writings in magazines published from Goa. In his younger days Crasto worked as a correspondent of West Coast Times (English daily), Novem Goem and Goencho Mog, etc.
In December 2007, Crasto was honored by the Young Goans Club for his contribution to community welfare. He has served several terms on the Managing Committee of the Club in different positions in the past. He is the Chairman of Bahrain Goans Football League and a member of the Konkani Community Committee of the Sacred heart Church.
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ALFRED D'SOUZA
Since coming to Bahrain over 20 years ago, Alfredo D’Souza, has always volunteered his time and services for the poor of the community. He is also a founder member of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights Migrant Worker's Group since 2002. Alfredo has been on the Legal Aid Cell of the Indian Community Services which comes under the auspices of the Indian Embassy. Alfredo works very closely with the Indian Embassy in Bahrain to help 'Laborers and Domestic Workers'. He is also a life member of the Royal Society of St George Charity organization.
Alfredo has been instrumental in starting the first ever 'Shelter for abused domestic helpers' and for well over 10 years has been defending the 'Human Rights' of the poor laborers and domestic helpers who have been abused by their employers and are helpless, even before the formation of the first Migrant Worker's Group in Bahrain.
Alfredo D’Souza is founder member and currently the Vice Chairman of the Migrant Workers Protection Society.
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