Media Release

Doha, Jan 17: In keeping with the spirit of Christmas and their annual tradition of donating to noble causes, the Goan welfare association (GWA), Qatar, have donated Rs 2 lac to Caritas Goa.

The cheque was handed over to Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao by GWA president Simon D’Silva in the presence of former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Luizinho Faleiro; Financial Administrator of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, Fr Valeriano Vaz; Director of Caritas Goa, Fr Marverick Fernandes, GWA Director of Events, Cajie Rodrigues and members Nancy D’Silva, Seema Rodrigues and Matilda Mascarenhas.

Appreciating the initiative of GWA the Archbishop later gave the cheque to director of Caritas Goa, Fr Marverick Fernandes, to use it for welfare projects. GWA has been donating regularly for charitable causes in Goa including Rs 3.38 lac towards caritas care home for HIV/AIDS patients in Tivim village in North Goa a year before. Handing over Rs 2 lac cheque to Archbishop Felipe Neri Ferrao, GWA president Simon D’Silva thanked him and former Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, who guided and converted GWA’s altruistic desires into reality. Luizinho Faleiro lauded the charitable, social and cultural activities of GWA and praised them for doing the yeomen service for the Goans.

GWA Qatar functioning under the dynamic leadership of President Simon D’Silva have been consistently doling out funds for relief work to different organizations in India.

Since 2001, D’Silva and like-minded Goans based in Qatar have pitched in to support organizations involved in relief work for the cause of the down trodden and neglected sections of society in India.

Contributions to the Gujarat Earthquake Victims through Prime Minister’s Relief Fund,
Child Relief and You (CRY), a national level social-charitable body involved in the welfare of orphan children have been the twin organizations where the Goans have pitched in over the last few years.

GWA have also supported social work carried out by Lar de St Terezinha Orphanage home at Margao and also helped the institute in Cavelosim village functioning under Caritas which is sheltering orphan girls suffering from HIV.

Empowerment of both individual and communities has been the motto of Caritas, besides helping the individual to stand on its own. Not only relief work but empowerment of both individual and communities is the focus of attention of Caritas. The concern is to deal with people as human beings with dignity, help them run their own lives, guide them to live in communion with each other and in harmony with nature, and build this awareness within communities. The numerous projects run by Caritas in Goa include Prison Apostolate, were apart from teaching the illiterate prisoners to read and write, some of them are even taught different trades. All the centres run by the Caritas cater to all types of people irrespective of religion, caste or creed and are not limited to the people of Goa.