INSPIRATION: GOAN ACHIEVERS

 INSPIRATION

Goan Achievers

THIS IS NOT A DRAFT, This is an idea germinating. I have posted this just to show what I would like to achieve. At the moment I am a little doubtful. I do not have the permission of the folks featured here ... if anyone objects, I will be happy to delete:

Inspiration

Goan Achievers

(Not even a draft)

Suella Braverman MP, Attorney-General: It is an immense honour to have represented the people of Fareham since 2015, being re-elected in 2017 and 2019, on both occasions increasing our share of the vote. 

My parents came to this country with very little in the 1960s, from Kenya and Mauritius. Mum was recruited by the NHS as a girl of 18years old and worked as a nurse for 45years and Dad worked for a housing association. My family were proud to serve their local community in Wembley, North West London, through local politics: Mum was a Councillor for 16years and Dad a campaigner for local people. No problem was too small: whether it was trying to save the local library, keep the local playing fields open or help a resident get a better home.

I was born in Harrow and grew up in Wembley. After attending a local state school, my parents decided to send me to a local independent school where I won a scholarship to help with school fees. I gained a place to read Law at Queens College, Cambridge University, followed by a Masters in European and French Law (LLM) at the Pantheon-Sorbonne in Paris and sat the New York Bar exams qualifying as an Attorney in New York State. This gave me a comparative insight into the legal, constitutional and political frameworks of Europe and the USA.

Since being elected, I have served on the Education Select Committee, as a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Treasury, and a Brexit Minister, a post from which I resigned in November 2018 over the unacceptable terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. In February 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed me to serve as Attorney General.

I’m a Conservative because we are the party that says it doesn’t matter where you start. It's about where you are going. You can make your life and that of others better by taking responsibility, self-empowerment and service. Aspiration means rewarding endeavour, enabling compassion and liberating people from the shackles of the state.

ANTONIO DA COSTA: PRIME MINISTER: Born in Lisbon in 1961, Antonio Luis Santos da Costa is of Goan origin. His father, Orlando grew up in Margao, Goa but left for Portugal where he married journalist Maria Antonia Palla. Antonio was born in 1961.

In 1991, Costa became a member of the Portuguese parliament, presenting as many as 20 law projects. He was secretary of state from 1995 to 1997 and minister of parliamentary affairs (1997-99). He organised Expo 98 which was a great success.

From October 1999 to April 2002, he served as justice minister.

From June 2004 to March 2005, he was a member of the European Parliament and was also elected as one of its 14 vice-presidents. In 2007, he was elected mayor of Lisbon.

In 2014, the Socialist Party nominated him as their prime ministerial candidate in the 2015 general elections. Costa resigned as mayor and won the election.

 

FRANCISCO D’SOUZA: superstar Indian American entrepreneur:  Francisco was born in Nairobi in 1968. His father was an Indian diplomat, Placido De Souza, who was posted there. His mother is Sushila and he has three sisters: Jacinta, Lucia and Maria. His rise was meteoric to say the least. Vivek Menezes wrote in the Times of India in 2013: “IN just a few weeks the very Goan name of Francisco (Frank) D’Souza has abruptly emerged amidst the most famous and admired titans of global business.

While industry insiders and observers have long admired the spectacular trajectory charted by D’Souza at Cognizant Technology Solution Corp, the multinational services provider and outsourcer, the 2013 results of Glassdoor.com’s global survey of than 500,000 corporate employees marked an unprecedented milestone.

The 44-year-old was rated the 6^th best CEO (his estimation has gone up leaps and bounds since) in the world, polling significantly ahead of legendary tycoons like Jeff Bezos, Michael Dell, and Larry Ellison. In breaking entirely new ground for an Industry, D’Souza also outranked Larry Page of Google and Tim Cook of Apple, who helm the giant corporations which define the current era of the information age.”

(D’Souza remains one of the most admired business visionaries of our time)

Two years after leaving Cognizant, D’Souza and his three co-founding partners set up a multi-million dollar private equity firm, Recognize, thus writing yet another brilliant chapter in his magnificent life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vivek Menezes is the co-founder and co-curator of the Goa Arts & Literature Festival (GALF) alongside his friend and mentor, the eminent Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo. He is a widely published writer and photographer, a columnist for Times of India, editor of The Peacock daily newspaper at the International Film Festival of India, and a frequent contributor to leading periodicals in India and abroad. He was born in Bombay, attended high school in New York, and holds degrees from Wesleyan University and the London School of Economics. He is also the curator of the large-scale group exhibition Panjim 175, which is part of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2018. He lives in Panjim with his wife and three sons, right next to where the Mandovi river merges with the Arabian Sea at Miramar beach.

 

SHIRLEY RODRIGUES: Shirley Rodrigues was appointed as Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy in October 2016. She is using her environmental expertise to work with Transport for London (TfL) to deliver the Mayor’s plans for tackling air pollution across London. This includes: expanding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), new charges for the oldest and most polluting vehicles, and creating Low Emission Bus Zones.

She is also overseeing the delivery of the Energy for Londoners programme (helping Londoners generate more low-carbon electricity), helping to boost London’s recycling rates and cutting landfills. She's working to deliver the ambitious target of London becoming a zero-carbon city by 2050.

Shirley was Acting Executive Director for Climate Change at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), an independent philanthropic organisation that works to transform the lives of poor and vulnerable children in developing countries.

She helped establish CIFF's cities and climate strategy and represented CIFF on the board of the C40 Large Cities Leadership Group – a network of global cities committed to addressing climate change.

Shirley has an impressive track record of developing new environmental policies in London. She worked in senior environmental policy roles from 2005 to 2009, helping to implement the London Low Emission Zone and programmes to retrofit London’s residential and commercial buildings.

 

Patricia Rozario, OBE is a Bombay-born British soprano. Born and educated in Bombay, India, she went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has performed at the English National Opera, Opera North, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and the Garsington Opera in England, and has performed on stage across Europe in Aix-en-Provence, Brussels, Frankfurt, Ghent, Innsbruck, Lyon and Stuttgart. One of her most notable appearances was across Europe in The Marriage of Figaro, conducted by Sir Georg Solti. She has also given concerts in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and as part of The Proms in England, and abroad in Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Halle, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Cologne, Leipzig, Madrid, New York City, Paris, Riga, Rouen, Strasbourg, Vienna, Winterthur and Zürich. She performed in a production of Elvis Costello’s Meltdown. Rozario has made numerous recordings of the works of composer John Tavener. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2001. Rozario is currently a professor at the Royal College of Music, where she is a member of the Vocal Faculty.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Agnelo Fernandes was born in Margao, Goa, the son of the late Dr Joao Caetano Sacrafamilia Fernandes (Raia, Rachol,Salcette) and Lucy Fernandes (Orda, Candolim, Bardez). At the age of four, he moved to Nairobi where he attended St.Teresa’s Primary School. Six years later he moved to England. Dr Fernandes, Medical Director of NHS Direct South London and GP at Parchmore Medical Centre, Thornton Heath, Croydon, Surrey has been honoured with an MBE (January 2004) in the Queen's New Year Honours list for “Services to Healthcare”. Dr Agnelo Fernandes said, at the time: “I am delighted and thrilled. Such an honour is a tribute to all NHS staff who are working to modernise the health service.”

Claire Coutinho: Conservative MP for East Surrey  Her father Winston was a retired anaesthetist, and her mother Maria is a GP.^[

 

Crystelle Pereira is a 26-year-old quick-witted cook and baker from London. Born in North London to Kenyan-born, Portuguese-Goan parents, Crystelle loves sharing both her Portuguese-Goan recipes, but also recipes packed full of flavours from around the world. She stole the hearts of the nation in "The Great British Bake Off," where she reached the final. She is brilliant, sparkling, communicator and very creative in her video presentations. She is above all else a natural star people person.

By Alison Boshoff. … Who is up to her eyes in dough at Goldman Sachs? 3. Banker Princess Who Loves Drama: Crystelle Pereira, 26, client relationship manager. High-achiever Crystelle is quadrilingual, went to UCL and now works for mega-bank Goldman Sachs. She was also nominated for a Women in Investment award. Her family are prominent in the Goan community, and father Derrick is a successful businessman who runs his charity, Help A Poor Child, with the aid of Crystelle and her siblings. She has a theatrical streak … She says she served as chief taster for her mother’s family recipes growing up, and loves to infuse her bakes with spices from the places she’s visited. On her Instagram she describes herself as ‘90 per cent chaos, 10 per cent attempting to bake’, but the results are impressive. She’s posted pictures of a homemade Big Mac and Goan fish curry. Her cake pops are neat, as is her chocolate and peanut butter cake. Crème De La Creme? Everything she does is magic: four out of five 

 

 

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Francis has appointed Father Earl K. Fernandes, a former staff member of the apostolic nunciature in Washington and currently a Cincinnati pastor, to head the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio.

Father Earl K. Fernandes, a former staff member of the apostolic nunciature in Washington and currently a Cincinnati pastor, has been named bishop of Columbus, Ohio. (Photo: CNS/courtesy Archdiocese of Cincinnati) At 49, Bishop-designate Fernandes will be one of the youngest U.S. Catholic bishops. Ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on May 18, 2002, he served at the nunciature from 2016 to 2019. He has been pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish since 2019. His appointment was announced in Washington on April 2 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio. Bishop-designate Fernandes will be the 13th bishop of Columbus. His episcopal ordination and installation will be on May 31. (Catholic News Service)

“We will miss his incredible intellect, unflagging energy and concern for all people, but know that these traits will serve him well as he expands his ministry to shepherd the faithful people of Columbus,” Cincinnati Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr said in a statement.

“Through all his assignments, Father Fernandes has been an ever-joyful witness to the goodness, beauty and truth of the Catholic faith,” the archbishop said, asking the faithful of the archdiocese to join him in congratulating the Cincinnati priest “on this joyous news.”

Bishop-designate Fernandes was secretary at the nunciature from 2016 to 2019. Before that, he was dean and assistant professor of moral theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati from 2008 to 2016. He is the published author of one book and numerous articles and essays and has given talks and retreats across the country. Born Sept. 21, 1972, in Toledo, Ohio, he is the fourth of five boys born to Indian immigrants. After graduating from St. Francis de Sales High School in

 

Brendan Fernandes (b. 1979, Nairobi, Kenya) is an internationally recognized Canadian artist working at the intersection of dance and visual arts. Currently based out of Chicago, Brendan’s projects address issues of race, queer culture, migration, protest and other forms of collective movement. Always looking to create new spaces and new forms of agency, Brendan’s projects take on hybrid forms: part Ballet, part queer dance hall, part political protest...always rooted in collaboration and fostering solidarity. Brendan is a graduate of the Whitney Independent Study Program (2007) and a recipient of a Robert Rauschenberg Fellowship (2014). In 2010, he was shortlisted for the Sobey Art Award and is the recipient of a prestigious 2017 Canada Council New Chapters grant. Brendan is also the recipient of the Artadia Award (2019), a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship (2020) and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant (2019). His projects have been shown at the 2019 Whitney Biennial (New York); the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York); the Museum of Modern Art (New York); The Getty Museum (Los Angeles); the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa); MAC (Montreal); among a great many others. He is currently an artist-in-residence and Assistant Professor at North-western University and represented by Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. Brendan is the son of Rudolph and Hazel Fernandes, ex-Nairobi who live in Toronto.

Elena Fernandes is a Supermodel, Influencer, Actress and Philanthropist. She is half Indian and half South American; her father from Goa and mother from Peru. In between shoots and various projects, Elena resides in London where she was born and raised. She speaks fluent English, French, Hindi to name a few. Alongside her successful modelling career, Elena has made her acting debut in Kapoor and Sons released worldwide. Elena has featured in the most internationally renowned magazines such as Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar as well as landing huge advertising campaigns with powerhouses River Island, Adidas and FILA. Elena pursued an education in Law to degree level at the Kings College University of London following ambitions to be a solicitor alongside her successful fashion career. Modelling and acting materialised by chance for Elena and whilst she is grateful for her achievements in the industry, she still stays true to her academic aspirations. She is determined to maintain a healthy balance between her multifaceted career and charity efforts. Elena is heavily involved with various projects in India to aid both animal and child welfare. As well as helping to raise awareness for numerous children’s charities, she is actively involved with talks at schools for PETA, WFA, US charity Nightlife as well as her charity iAmChange.

 

Braz Menezes: Outstanding Architect and author of the very popular Matata triology about life growing up in Kenya as the country hurtled towards independence. Born and raised in Kenya currently living in Toronto, Ontario.

 

 

 

 

Mervyn Maciel: Pioneer author of a colonial civil servant’s life and adventures in pre-independent Kenya.

 

Denzil Pereira and Trisca Fernandes: D&T happened when Denzil, the charismatic singer showman joined forces with Trisca an accomplished and versatile playback singer with loads of studio experience, Hindustani classical training and oodles of oomph. They combine a wide repertoire spanning Bollywood, Retro, Indi pop, RnB, funk, Western pop, jazz and swing with a stellar stage presence and infectious energy that can rock the socks off many a corporate stuffed shirt. They make the language of music even more universal with songs in English, Hindi, Konkani, Marathi, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish and more. They can stir the soul and burn the dance floor.

 

Ben Gomes

 

 

 

 

Some surprise inclusions in the list are Miss Great Britain (Preeti Desai, 25), zedo.com CEO Roy De Souza, Symantec senior vice president Francis deSouza, Cognizant COO Francisco D'Souza, Dell Inc manager Andrew Fernandes, Kent bus-driver Ken D'Souza,

 

Romulus Pereira, former CEO Riverstone Networks Inc; Francis de Souza, senior VP, Symantec, enter messaging mgt group; Francisco D'Souza, COO, Cognizant Technology Solutions; and Andrew Fernandes, Dell Inc, US, manager, global business continuity.