Life in the Goan Twilight Zone

Life in the Goan Twilight Zone: 

By Cyprian Fernandes

(with a lot of help from friends around the world)

Once upon a time, the Goan communities peppered around Eastern Africa celebrated social, sports and other related activities that were the realm of the British upper class. With their social clubs peppered around Eastern Africa, they introduced various aspects of Goan and Portuguese social traditions and dances as well. Goa to this day continues to bask in the glory of centuries-old traditional Konkani music and dance and the same taste for sports and other leisure activities they enjoyed in their once eternal Goa. However, having left Africa (after independence) for the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and various other places on the map. Everywhere they went, they renewed their thirst and hunger for the social life they had enjoyed in Goa and Eastern Africa. Their social events in their new home around the world were just as successful as those they knew in Goa and Eastern Africa. However, time, old age, illness and the Twilight Zone are culling all those social and sports events

For most of us who were forced out of Eastern Africa father time is taking its toll in more ways than we can remember. News of the passing of many friends strikes a bitter blow (borne with a prayer and surrender to God’s will) almost daily to Goan hearts all around the world. Still, those who can, cling with uncanny bravery to a lifestyle many of us can only dream of. Even old age continues to tease us, at least in Canada and maybe the UK, we ageing migrants bravely keep alive as much as we can and celebrate as much as we can those festivities that were to remain in our hearts and minds. Perhaps in Canada rather than anywhere else, the lifestyle we knew (maybe an even better lifestyle for some) survives with a gusto.

A friend told me recently: “The Goan Overseas Association is certainly doing a fine job in Toronto.  They have a great vision of bringing the youth to be part of the Goan cultural tradition as well as looking after the welfare of us ageing seniors by running afternoon programs. The Westend Seniors Club is another well-run, and supported by many.  Evening events have curtailed many Seniors from attending as night driving is an issue or the loss of a spouse means they have to ask for rides. Also, the saying is the crowd is not what they are used to seeing, with many new faces gracing the events. This is a good thing to keep the Club alive, but inhibitions in making new friends are hard for some resulting in staying home and here is where mental illness sneaks in.”

The Dr Ribeiro Goan School events in the UK but especially in Canada were sensational. However, I hope they can hold on for a few years more.

The GOA of NSW was founded by Goans mainly from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and a few from the Gulf States. The response to all their feast days and sports occasions was tremendous. Victoria and NSW were among the first to exchange sports visits. NSW was the first to celebrate World Goa Day except they called it Goencho Bazaar. Today, the GOA survives mainly because of arrivals from the Gulf, Goa and elsewhere. There are not many East African Goans at their functions. Once upon a time, it was heaven on earth.

Victoria GOA was a similar case. There are not many East African Goans at their functions but like NSW they survive and prosper with the newcomers.

 

Who can ever forget the glory days of the Kampala Goan Institute, Dar es Salaam Goan Institute, the Mombasa Goan Institute, the Nairobi Goan Institute and the Railway Goan Institute? And, of course, the other little Goan Institutes in places like Kisumu, Nakuru, Tanga, Jinja, Entebbe, Kitale where Mervyn “Bwana Karani” was the president for many years etc.  There was a Goan Institute in Nyeri, which was very popular in the 1960s. There were about 13-14 families who were quite social and used to meet up almost every weekend at the institute. Paloma Fernandes’ father John Gomes who is now 90 years old was part of this team. When the Goan expatriates left Nyeri, they sold the club for about Ksh, 300,000 at the time and put it in a UK bank account. The interest of the money was to be sent to Pillar every year to pay for a priest to complete his education. To date, this carries on.

It was not always song and dance. When Mervyn Maciel was Vice-President of the Nakuru GI he and his energetic committee felt that there was much too much emphasis on the social events. That is why they started a debating society which was very popular. my energetic Committee and I felt that there was too much emphasis on the social side of things with little or no interest in the educational side. This is when we started a debating society which proved very popular and provided a new initiative for our younger generation.

Kampala Institute closed down a few years ago and sold the property, the Dar es Salaam Goan Institute (DI) is still thriving, and Friday nights are the days to go.  They still have many social activities, and the club is quite well-attended.

The Goan Institute (GI) in Nairobi is thriving, thanks to the collective efforts of its trustees—Ian Fernandes, Roland Braganza, Brian D’Souza, Cheryl D’Souza, Charles Lobo, and Karim Shamshudin. They spearheaded the construction of a unique residential project, comprising 48 two-bedroom apartments for members. Of these, 14 units are owned by the Institute, generating rental income that sustains the club and funds further development, while the remaining 34 were sold to GI members.

In addition to this initiative, the trustees have made significant improvements to the club's infrastructure. They built a secure boundary wall around the sports ground, replaced the old beer garden with a state-of-the-art tavern bar, renovated clubhouse facilities, and constructed a modern sports pavilion. The club continues to host a variety of social and sporting events and recently completed a well-contested election for its management positions, reflecting an engaged community.

The Goan Institute still hosts the best New Parties with over 200 guests attending this great party. The club continues to host traditional Christmas festivities including the traditional lighting of the Christmas tree, parties for children, and a special free Christmas party for our senior members. All functions are usually well attended.

Recently a team from Kenya brought in the Goan sensation Tammy & Roy for a musical extravaganza at the Goan Institute which was quite well attended.

Most recently a lot of our young adults from Nairobi have gone to study abroad in various parts of the world including but not limited to South Africa, Malaysia, Cyprus, Canada, USA, UK, Portugal and Europe. Despite the migration of many of these youngsters, the community still tries its best to still meet up and socialise.

The Goan Welfare Society in Nairobi which will be celebrating their 30 years of existence with a gala dinner on the 19th of October will also be bringing Andre D’Souza from Goa to regale them. The Goan Welfare Society in Nairobi is still quite effective and helps many Goan Welfare cases.

Under the Goan Welfare Society, is a security team called ‘Sambau’ comprising of Goans who volunteer to assist with any security matters. They are quick to assist with accident cases, medical cases, elections and also for funeral arrangements if called upon to do so.

The Goan Gymkhana in Nairobi is doing well and has achieved sustainability by offering an astro turf facility for hockey and football, which has gained significant popularity. Recently, they introduced paddle, a sport that has quickly caught on and added to their success.

The Mombasa Institute is doing reasonably well also and has quite a few social functions that bring members together. They have a great management team who volunteer much of their time to the club. The Goan Community (the welfare section) is also quite active and helps its members quite a lot, especially in terms of hospital bills and the arrangement of funerals.

Besides the glorious social events, an even greater celebration must be the achievements of our “Stars Next Door” in local and international hockey (men and women), soccer, tennis, squash, golf, billiards, snooker, Eastern African cricket, table tennis, snooker, billiards, and many other sports old aged has robbed me of my fading memory. Although we were crouched somewhat in respect to the “bwana mkubwas”, many Goans were named in the Annual Queens Birthday Honours Lists.

How could we ever forget the brilliant musicians who entertained all with such brilliance and panache? And don’t forget the doctors, nurses, specialists, midwives, dentists, priests, etc, etc.

Many Goans also succeeded in business and people like Felix Pinto and Tom Fernandes are names that have endured all that come their way. There are many more super achievers that my failing memory has robbed me of, I apologise. I am not sure just how the UK migrants from Eastern Africa are doing socially. I am told quite often that the new migrants from Goa are like a torrent of celebration sweeping over the UK. The village feasts used to be a great attraction for a lot of people. I don’t know if all village feasts are being celebrated. I am sure my friends from the UK will be quick to tell me.

Here in Australia, very few of the original Goan migrants attend GOA functions. One reason is that when they get there, they don’t know anyone. There are not many familiar faces. Never mind, the new Goans are doing a fine job and NSW GOA and the others around Australia are doing just fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but the Canadian Goans are probably more successful than any Goan migrant community doing their best in not only caring for folks who might need a little help but also in ensuring the traditions of celebrations and church live on.

In lots of countries around the world, migrant Goan communities are a vanishing tribe.

Old age and illness are grim reapers. One of the biggest blows Goans have had weather is the departure (retirement)  of Eddie Fernandes in Goan communications. His daily Goan Voice newsletter was manna from heaven and kept the Goan community connected around the world.

There was a time when 500 or 800 or even a thousand or two or three people would have read my Facebook and Blogger pages daily. These days I would be lucky sometimes to get 40 or 50. I am feeling the pinch and am seriously considering axing my Facebook pages mainly because META seems to be making FB untenable. I may hang on to Blogger for a while longer. Perhaps the greatest reason for my being down in the dumps is that I am not getting much input from the community these days, and I don’t blame them. But such is life.