CAN YOU HELP?

The following article appeared in the local daily Arab Times (Kuwait) dated March 21, 2009.
It was written by the Pastor of St. Paul's Anglican Church. I am reproducing it ad verbatim for the readers of goa.kranti spread all around the globe advising them to advice our maids to be careful while working in this part of the world as maids. It looks there is no compassion in the employers who brutalise the maids in Kuwait. They think they not only own the maids physically but also soully. It looks nothing but a total slavery of modern era. I hope by reading this article, people at least will pray for the employers of the maids to treat them humanely. Prayer alone is the last resort left in us now since prayer only can bring a change in those cruel employers attitudes towards their servants. And also, prayer can encourage the fellow citizens of cruel employers to fight against the inustice committed on to the poor expatriate maids from the poor countries.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.



CAN YOU HELP?

By Rev Andy Thompson.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church,
Ahmadi – Kuwait.


“CAN we help?” is a question lot of people ask when they hear the news of another unfortunate soul who has slipped between the cracks of society.

Here is a story of what happened when some friends of mine did try to help. They reached out to a Nepali lady who was injured after jumping out of a third floor window in order to escape from her abusive employers. This maid had surgery on her pelvis and spine, was five months pregnant and to add insult to injury was serving a sentence in deportation jail on an absconding charge. (Why they don’t arrest the abusive employers?)

The authorities finally agreed to let my friends buy an airline ticket to allow her to go home. But when it came to processing the paperwork, the officials claimed to have lost the Nepali girl’s passport (it was found in the same drawer where it was originally deposited). Finally on the day that the ticket would have expired, out of desperation, the friends turned up the jail ready to take her themselves to the airport.

The deportation staff reluctantly escorted the Nepali maid to the airport, and made sure that their annoyance was expressed by denying the poor girl use of a wheel chair and insisted that she walked the whole way through the airport and immigration in order to punish her. The abuse of this girl continued right up to the moment she boarded the plane.

She was the lucky one! She got out. Others receiving help are still stuck at the deportation centre. Tickets have been bought to allow them to go home but they have expired because someone, somewhere will not process their paperwork. Hundreds of Dinars from those who wish to help have been wasted. Prisoners are losing their minds because they have been stranded in the deportation centre for months. The tragedy is that often their tickets people who have shown acts of charity – but bureaucratic apathy has reduced their efforts of kindness to naught. The tickets expire and dreams of going home are reduced to despair. Please note, we are not talking about convicted criminals here. We are talking about people who chose to leave their employers under dire circumstances and who want to home.

Can you help? Of course you can. But you need to be committed to see it through. Helping people in Kuwait is not for the faint hearted, but there will be reward and God sees what we do. “The King will reply ‘Whatever you did for the least of these’, you did for me”. (Mathew 25:40).

GOA DEPORTO CLUB.

GOA DEPORTO CLUB.

Goa Deporto Club is one of the Indian Soccer Clubs in Kuwait registered with Kuwait Indian Football Federation. Recently, it held its meeting and elected a new committe under the presidency of Clive D'Costa.

The other members of the newly elected committee are Domnick D'Souza - Gen. Secretary; Ignatius Martins - Sports Secretary; William Stromach - Team Manager; Simon Bernard - Asst. Coach.

All the named committee members are seen in the above picture along with their footballers.

Konkani Feature Film 'DOLLA' Shot in Kuwait

By Gaspar Almeida

Good news for all the Konkani lovers. Yet another Kuwait-based Goan has envisaged to carry on the Goan tradition of keeping the Goan culture alive and this time, it's another Konkani full feature film tilted "DOLLA", written and directed by Ignatius D. Fernandes. The entire shoot of this film has been done in Kuwait. Alluring music has been composed and meticulously selected for "DOLLA" keeping the Goan taste of melody, music and rhyme in mind. Ignatius hails from the picturesque village of Sancoale, Goa-India and proudly says: "I have great expectation from this film. I’ve tried my best to do justice to the script".

A brief intro about the Producer-Director:

After obtaining his Degree in Computer Engineering (APTECH), he successfully undertook the IATA Diploma courses. Cinema was something out of his thoughts as a career or profession option, then. Ignatius fondly remembers during his childhood days, when his dad, John C. Fernandes, who worked in Kuwait used to get Konkani Video Cassettes, along with all the goodies and presents. He still vividly remembers the names of some like “Hanv Vatt Chuklo”, “Kitem Hanvem Kellem”, “Doth ani Dennem”, among scores of other Konkani dramas which his mother Succorina Fernandes used to treasure, keeping them immaculately cleaned and packed. He confesses though that he was not too much fond of them during that time. Ignatius recalls "I guess it was due to the attitude of insignificance of our mother tongue we felt around us"! When he stepped into adolescence, a likeness towards Konkani grew within him. "I used to hear all the Konkani audio cassettes. I even to the extend to clean the fungus on the VHS cassettes and watch the same dramas once I shunned to view", he shyly recalls.

Around 2004 when Konkani home-made and amateur videos started to bloom, a desire to make his own Konkani songs album VCD was felt by him. He fondly adds, "I learnt the techniques and ideas used in film creations, production as well as the finer aspects of filming. I met some professionals, exchange lots of thoughts and views and with their help planned out my first Konkani VCD project. After 3-4 songs were filmed, fate had something else in store for me. "I landed in Kuwait on a work visa and had to depart from this field". The wish of fulfilling his 'maiden' project was sacrificed as his job and other priorities came in the fore.

It was during the same period that his brother, Joywin, also a die-hard Konkani lover, established himself and set up his own banner “Home Video Production” in Goa. Today, Ignatius deeply feel proud of Joywin's success as he has scripted his mark for having the largest number of Konkani VCD and Konkani telefilms photographed, filmed and edited single handedly. A rare achievement, indeed, at a very young age! Joywin has some pleasant creative films to his name and credit. Among these include “Chint Munxea Vogot Astanam”, “Chintnam Nuin Sopnam”, “Ek Full Don Kannte”, etc.

The latest released film “Friends” in which the beautifully conceptualized romance between youngsters is well presented. 'It's happening for the first time in Konkani films', Ignatius prouldy states. Termed as a youthful joyride, the entertaining film is written, directed, photographed and edited by Joywin. Yet another new film titled “Family” is also slated for release soon. It's a film about relationships.

Coming back to "DOLLA" his cherished subject, Ignatius gives a little insight cheefully, "I intended to create a film long back, but due to reasons beyond my control and other commitments, the idea and script were set aside untouched. Now after an impatient wait of over 5 years, finally I have ventured out for this film. The trailor of this film is already out on a few Konkani Video CDs and also on youtube, goa-world.com and http://goamag.net/ web portals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHOGW2RSIY

Now at the post-production stages, the 29 year old Ignatius feels great that his dream film has come true! It's been a truly a blissful experience to see my work on screen! “My wife Joyce has been my genuine support throughout the making of "DOLLA". She was instrumental in re-writing/modifying the script as the film progressed and accompanied me on the shoot locations. She did the part of an Assistant Director with a genuine eye for details. Without her love and support I couldn’t have brightened up my film", he candidly acknowledges. "My special thanks to all the cast who have tirelessly put in their best performances so also the technicians and support crew".

"The film has turned out in excellent form and to my liking. I have treated each and every element of the movie accurately keeping in mind the audience in and around the Konkan region. I have attempted to craft something different in the genre of Konkani films."

"DOLLA" features Sheryl Gomes, Sylvester Vaz, Irene Vaz, Marina D’Souza, Riana Azavedo, Simon Dias, and a host of other actors including Ignatius and Joyce in a small cameo appearance.

The production and marketing will be handled by "Home Video Productions". The other related aspects of the film are set for final touches. "I plan to release this movie on big screen soon. A few more shoots and that's all is awaited..... I am positive the Konkani audiences will like it".

As Ignatius confidently puts it, "DOLLA" is surely gonna be an all out entertainer and a collector's item for Konkani film enthusiasts.

The producer-director can be contacted via Email: ignatius_kuwait@yahoo.com or ifilmstudios@yahoo.com or Tel/Mob: (+965) 99208421.

Further details about the cast, music and above all, the novel approach in production, direction and storyline is all that the Konkani film lovers await for to watch.

Pictures courtesy: www.goa-world.com