When it comes to Education, Kuwait Canara Welfare Association (KCWA) is a name worldwide, who for the past thirty years continuously involved in educating the needy back home in their native place, Mangalore in South Canara. This Catholic Association of Kuwait always upholds its culture and their popular language which is their mother tongue Konkani. On the process of academic education, though the children need to learn few languages, like English, Hindi, Arabic, French, Sanskrit, the Mangalorean Catholics always build a bond of relating their present generation with their mother tongue Konkani.
It was a dream of Mangalorean Catholics, that their children should not only speak Konkani, further, they should be able to read and write the commonly used Kannada script to reach Konkani . Thus the need of their members, felt by KCWA, and step was taken immediately to open a class to learn their Mai Bhas, Konkani. While the KCWA website prepared a corner for Konkani Lovers to register for learning Konkani, unexpected number of students from the age of 5 to 50 registered for the class. Thus it gave a final day to start the classes. And On Friday the 5th of May 2018 the MaiBhas Classes inaugurated in Salmiya and Abbasiya parishes of Kuwait respectively. And KCWA launched another milestone of helping the Mangalorean Catholics residing in Kuwait.
On the day, evening at 3:15 pm sharp, in Salmiya, the inaugural of Mai-Bhas Konkani Class was done by leading all to a prayer by one of the teacher Ms. Shareen Pinto, Then the traditional Diya (lamp) was lighted by the KCWA President – Stevan Rego, Vice President-Deepak Andrade, General Secretary-Rajesh Aranha, MaiBhas-Class, Salmiya Coordinator- Maria Rinna D Souza, teacher Shanthi Linet Fernandes and a student – Lourdes Darlene Fernandes. Then the curtain was opened by KCWA President Stevan Rego as the sign of official inaugural process. KCWA Public Relation Officer- Naveen Mascarenhas, Cultural Secretary-Orson D Souza, Nominated Member and Salmiya Parish Konkani Community Representative Anil Fernandes were present along with KCWA members, parents and students.
Maria Rinna D’Souza main co-coordinator of “MaiBhas Konkani Classes” for Salmiya, welcomed the gathering and briefed the main aim of this milestone. Then the class continued for the 39 student of Batch 1. At the beginning kids were asked if they are interested to learn and come willingly. All Kids were excited to learn and write in mother tongue Konkani and with great enthusiasm learned the basic greetings, the family relating words and also in groups learned to relate themselves in Konkani, where they were taught to make few sentences.
The kids were very excited to know specialty of our mother tongue Konkani. Where all our greetings start with God as we say for Good morning “DEVE BORO DIS DIV”, for Good evening “DEV BORI SANZ DIV”, for Good night “DEV BORI RAATH DIV”. The kids were feeling proud to learn few words in Konkani and while parents gather after the class to pick their ward, and spoke to them in English, the kids were boldly started saying to their parents, “thumi kale ulaithath, amka somzana”, thus kids were encouraged to continue the language in their homes.
Shareen Pinto, Shanthi Fernandes, Linet Fernandes were the teachers along with Maria Rinna D Souza to make the kids a class of interaction, fun and joy.
Simultaneously, in the evening around 5:00 pm the inaugural ceremony in a similar way was organized in Abbasiya, by the coordinator Deepak Andrade.
The chief dignitary of the day was the Spiritual Director of KCWA and Abbasiya Konkani Community and also Assistant Parish Priest of St. Daniel Comboni Parish – Fr. Noel D’ Almeida. Along with Abbasiya Konkani Community President Rony Fernandes, KCWA President, Members and teachers Gladys Noronha, Lavina Furtado, Jessy D’Souza and Margret Fernandes.
The ceremony commenced with prayer, lead by Fr. Noel and followed by the ceremonious lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries along with official inauguration by unveiling the curtain. There after inaugural words delivered by Fr. Noel, K.C. President Rony Fernandes and KCWA President Mr. Steevan Rego . Soon after inaugural of ceremony Konkani classes commenced at 5:15 pm. Singing Konkani Amchi MaiBhas. Following Konkani oral class.
Obviously it was a great experience and proud moment for KCWA. The Managing Committee of KCWA take this opportunity to Thank Parents, coordinators, teachers and all those involved to make this happen for your whole hearted support.
1 comment
Kudos to you KCWA. It’s a wonderful job that you are taking care of our mother tongue “Konkani” even in Kuwait. Please keep doing all that belongs to Mangalorean culture.