She was a nice and pretty looking young girl having an upright character and schooling at Little Flower of Jesus Convent High School, Calangute. Very stylish and very well dressed drawing attention of many boys from her locality and also of the neighbourhood. When she was schooling at Calangue I was schooling at Arpora St. Joshep’s. We both finished together our SSC doing our final exam together in the same hall, at Britto Mapusa. She got distinctions in many subjects while I got first class with only one distinction. After her SSC she went to Bombay for higher education while I joined Xaviers at Mapusa to complete my further education. During this period we lost much of our contact.She was none other than my friend the late Teresa Fernandes wife of Jerry Call also from Calangute and a friend of mine who a year ago released his CD “Calangute”. Jerry Call is the cousin brother of my wife and he and me we both studied together till our SSC at St. Joseph’s Arpora. He, like me also excelled in Sports, Table Tennis and Cycle Race were his forte, in both these items he won championships. While he was producing victory after victories in sports, Teresa was admiring him and his talent as many of the young girls of that period. Finally they both agreed to join together in the holy sacrament of matrimony and became husband and wife.
Later on Jerry went to Abu Dhabi where Teresa also joined him there and took up the employment in the Bank (HSBC) where she worked till her voluntary retirement a few years back.
The greatness of Teresa lies on her involvement in Goan and Konkani movements in Abu Dhabi. Among expatriate Goans, Kuwait Goans stand first in organising movements for the promotion of Goan causes especially for Konkani and after Kuwait Goans comes the Abu Dhabi Goans. Why Abu Dhabi? Because Teresa and her husband Jerry were working there and since both they were dynamic couple ready to do anything within their capacity for Goan causes, they motivated the Goans there to promote Goan causes. They both used their popularity in Abu Dhabi amongst Goans to raise funds for Konkani Martys besides many of the Konkani causes including Fr. Freddy’s Gulab cause.
During Novem Goem Newspaper and Konkani movement they took me there and organised a big meeting of Goans where I campaigned for the cause of Konkani. Teresa with the help of her husband brought Tiatrists and Tiatro groups from Goa to perform there. Some of the top Goan and Bombay Tiatro troupes came to Abu Dhabi thru the efforts and initiatives of Teresa and Jerry. And in fact her Flat in Abu Dhabi was a home away from their homes in Goa for many of the visiting Goan Tatrsts in Abu Dhabi who also enjoyed best of hospitality from her.
Additionally Teresa was very instrumental in helping her husband to bring in to Abu Dhabi many Goans for employment some of them were totally unknown to them. Also, the job of Bom Samaritan she did many times for the suffering Goans in Abu Dhabi. Even Goans faced with financial difficulties were rescued from their difficulties by Teresa. For the promotion of Goan causes she did more than any other Goan female in Abu Dhabi. It was she who deserved NRI Award from that area more than anyone else.
Konkani movement makers especially persons like me will always remember her and her efforts in promoting Konkani cause in Abu Dhabi.
May her soul rest in peace and may the heavenly God give her husband and children courage to bear this colossal loss.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Fernandes.
.
