Who We Are
This holds true for four noble gentlemen—Francis Misquith, Charles Vaz, Elias Saldanha, and Johnny Misquith—who came to Kuwait to earn their daily bread. As their steps steadied towards success in making a living, they were inspired to be of service to their fellow brethren in their homeland, and thus Kuwait Canara Welfare Association (originally Kanara Catholic Welfare Association) emerged in July 1988, with the sole purpose of helping the neediest children in their education.
As the sowed seed started growing into a plant, the strength of KCWA also started increasing and its horizon expanded. In addition to our foundational focus, KCWA sought to preserve the Mangalorean culture and keep the Konkani language alive in Kuwait. With Mother Mary as its Patroness, KCWA embarked on its journey in community welfare in September 1989, by celebrating the Monthi Fest (Feast of Nativity) for the first time in Kuwait’s history and shared the New Harvest’s fellowship meal with the parishioners. Since then, this feast is being celebrated with more than 3,500 devotees, irrespective of their nationalities, with Mother Mary’s blessings every year.
Our Primary Motto
"In pursuit of providing education to the poor children."
Education & Empowerment
Service to Humanity
Unity & Community Spirit
Cultural Preservation
Educational Foundations
“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul”
– Joseph AddisonEarlier with very limited funds, a fixed amount was sent to deserving schools through their respective Parish priests. But later as the association grew, better ideas resulted in fixing a specific amount in the banks as KCWA’s education fund and channelling the interest earned towards educating the needy children. Today, 160 parishes / Institutions are enjoying the benefits out of the income generated from the deposits upto ₹1 lakh each.
“If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people”
– Chinese proverbSt. Agnes Special School (SASS)
In the year 2000, KCWA established the Computer Education Centre to provide free computer education to underprivileged physically challenged children. A 3-storey building was constructed in Bendoor, managed by the Apostolic Carmel Congregation, with KCWA dispersing about ₹38.5 lakhs for the entire project.
St. Joseph’s Engineering College
Understanding the need for extra finances for children for their higher studies and professional courses, KCWA established a permanent Scholarship fund of ₹10 lakhs in Vamanjoor. From the interest generated, two needy but deserving Engineering students from Mangalore diocese will be able to realize their dreams, annually.
Widespread Humanitarian Impact
KCWA has lent its hand to students with a vocational call, contributed to school building projects, and extended support to institutions rendering selfless service to the unfortunate. Our structural distribution includes:
- ₹29 Lakhs routed directly inside Kuwait towards various pressing humanitarian intentions.
- ₹10 Lakhs donated towards the Library Block of the newly constructed St. Mary’s College in Bela of Kasargod district.
- ₹8.5 Lakhs distributed to 205 deserving university students of Mangalore and Udupi Dioceses to pursue higher education.
- ₹6.5 Lakhs deployed to setup the Anugraha School for Differently-abled children in Bellary.
- ₹5 Lakhs allocated to sponsor a modern classroom in the Christraj Navachetan Special School, Venur (managed by the Ursuline Franciscan Education Society).
- ₹5 Lakhs provided as financial assistance towards building a primary school at Kumbla through St. Monica Educational Institutions.
- Sustained support extended to critical institutions like the Manasa School for mentally challenged children and the Seon Ashram.
“In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us”
– Flora EdwardsAcademic Excellence & Merit Scholarships
KCWA formally recognizes and rewards outstanding student achievements and extra-curricular distinctions through targeted annual excellence awards:
Culture, Sports & Community Events
“All of us do not have equal talents, but all of us should have an equal opportunity to develop our talents”
– John Fitzgerald KennedyIn addition to education, KCWA has always strived to explore the inner talents of its members’ children by conducting various competitions and providing platforms through cultural events in the fields of arts, music and skill.
In order to keep alive our Mangalorean culture and Konkani language in this Gulf country, KCWA ensures that an annual Konkani programme is conducted to exhibit the local talents, thus providing the audiences with wholesome entertainment and instilling our culture in the hearts of the younger generation. At KCWA’s annual Family Picnic and Christmas Celebration, the importance of family and community is highlighted, where the young and the elders mingle, meet fellow Mangaloreans, and enjoy a rewarding day. Not lagging behind in the sports field, KCWA organizes Cricket and other sports events every single year.
Global Standing & The Journey Ahead
“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love”
– William WordsworthThe value of our operations reached international heights on December 9, 2010. KCWA was one among 25 Konkani Organizations globally to be honored by the then President of India, Pratibha Patil, at the World Konkani Cultural Convention’s Ekta Divas in Mangalore for its valuable contribution to the preservation and enrichment of Konkani culture.
In the past 26 years, KCWA has achieved enormous accolades for its selfless services, for which all office bearers—past and present, benefactors, donors, and members—tirelessly continue to help till today, bonding like one big family for any honourable mission that KCWA gets associated with. KCWA has also proudly joined hands with various social causes to provide direct aid to the unfortunate victims of natural calamities.
“One hundred years from now, it will not matter, What kind of car I drove, What kind of house I lived in or How much money I had; but the world may be different, because I was important in the life of a child.”
KCWA doesn’t stop here, and will continue its noble cause with the intention of adding more feathers to its cap. As Mother Teresa beautifully said:
“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
– Mother Teresa“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”