Goa ForGiving brings Christmas cheer to senior citizens
Caroling is common worldwide, to usher in the Christmas-New Year festivities. This year’s caroling will remain a special memory for the 72-year old Estelvina Fernandes, an inmate of the Lar Santa Margarita Home for the Aged, located on the Diwar island in north Goa.
December 22, 2010 evening saw a group of 15 teenagers singing carols for the elderly at the Lar Santa Margarita Home for the Aged. They were led by the upcoming Crossly Menezes Group. These nostalgic carols energized Estelvina to give an impromptu performance by singing two popular Goan songs of yesteryears, ‘Claudia’ and ‘Kavlya Kityak Rodttay Darar’, in her staggering voice, choking further with emotions. Estelvina, a resident of the home for over three years, has minor age-related health problems. But that did not prevent her from rendering the two numbers to an appreciative audience of 33 senior citizens aged between 60 and 92 years, the young carolers, care givers and domestic staff at the home, the Crossly Menezes Group and a team from Goa ForGiving, the charity wing of Panjim-based, Trancemedia, which had organized the event to bring smiles to wizened faces of the golden generation.
The evening was indeed a special one at the Lar Santa Margarita Home for the Aged. The teenage carolers were underprivileged children of the economically weaker section of migrant workers from the neighboring state, Karnataka. They were trained in Konkani music and Goan performing arts, including caroling, by Goa ForGiving, free of cost, as part of Trancemedia’s ongoing efforts to promote Konkani music and culture through its brand, Konkani Rocks.
The power of carols rendered by these underprivileged teenagers can be gauged from the fact, it spurred 82-year old Edward Cabral, one of the oldest inmates of the Lar Santa Margarita home to come forward and propose a dazzling vote of thanks. The Crossly Menezes Group consisted of two local talent from Goa Velha, Ruzai and Jasmine. While Crossly played the guitar, percussion music was provided by some senior citizens who drummed on their tables or tapped feet to his tunes. Others assisted the carolers by clapping to the themes of the songs.
Sister Monica, Superior of the Lar Santa Margarita Home for the Aged called upon Tracemedia’s Founder and CEO, Armando Gonsalves, to conduct more such entertaining events for the home’s inmates, who rarely have the opportunity to venture out, due to their frail health. Armando Gonsalves, on his part, assured Sister Monica, Goa ForGiving will try and bring suitable musical shows to the home, specially for the benefit of these senior citizens. “Christmas is all about giving. Hence, we believed, our charity wing, Goa ForGiving could do something special for senior citizens this year and thus organized caroling at the Lar Santa Margarita Home.”
The Lar Santa Margarita Home for the Aged is run by the Mumbai based Congregation of Poor Sisters of Our Lady. The home is based in a large section of a traditional Goan mansion donated for the purpose by the Lily and her husband, Late Custodio Manuel Gomes Pereira. Lily also assists caregivers, nurses and domestic staff in rendering services to the elderly inmates, some of whom suffer from age related disorders.
