NEWS

KCA AGM 2022

A Sweet Amalgamation

Indian dance forms are a sweet amalgamation of body movement and an individual’s expressions and senses. At KCA Bangalore, over the last two years, we have achieved just that. With the right pace, high energy levels, appropriate mix of programs and budget-friendly events, we have fulfilled the needs of our members. Like Indian dance we have sought to bring harmony into our efforts ,to work with the community.

Two years have flown by, and I remember every smile, hug, effort and helping hand offered by our members. I will always remember and cherish these gestures of goodwill and kinship. I am honoured to have been given this opportunity to be your president, and steer KCA Bangalore, through these two years.

Please note, I underline “KCA Bangalore” as we have now filed an application to register our logo. Once the KCA Bangalore logo is registered, we will have our distinctive identity, and leave no room for confusion with other groups. The KCA Bangalore website will be up and ready shortly. It is currently in the final stages of development. With the launch of this online channel, we will complete our digital communication readiness.

The year 2021-22 has been a very exciting year. We have been able to accomplish many milestones, thanks to the ‘helping hands’ I mentioned earlier. Special mention and thanks should be made to our ever consistent and generous sponsors; Mr & Mrs Joe Colaco , Mr & Mrs Nigel Colaco, Mr & Mrs Austin Roach. Mr and Mrs Errol Fernandes, Mr and Mrs Adrian D’Souza, Mr and Mrs Valerian Fernandes, Mr and Mrs Edgar Britto, Mr and Mrs Jeffrey Rebello, Mr and Mrs Marjorie Texeira, Mr and Mrs IJ Rebello and Mr. & Mrs. Kenny Peres. The ‘helping hands’ extended to institutions as well, and KCA in collaboration with KE , donated ambulances to the Jeevan Jyothi Trust run by the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

The COVID challenge made us steer our efforts smartly and swiftly, and respond to the health needs of the community. We took concrete steps to look after our members, families, and friends. Our Vaccination drives have had great attendance, starting with the first one in April 2021 vaccinating 500 people, followed by the second camp in June 2021 with 659 families who benefitted, this was followed by a joint vaccination drive of KCA with KONCAB where 471 families were vaccinated. The third vaccination camp of the Booster Shot in July 2022 had 267 vaccinated. Was this tough to achieve – it was! There were coordination challenges, enlisting members, ensuring no gaps in availability of vaccines, syringes, and doctors. There was also a fair degree of risk, and all this we, as a committee, have braved and succeeded.

We began planning for a host of events ,in 2020-21. There was great uncertainty ,since we were navigating COVID times. But, soon enough we were running with the programs and members participated wholeheartedly!
2nd Nov – All Souls Day, we had an online mass for the departed. This was closely followed by a Children’s Day Program on 14th Nov which catered to 50 children of Ashadeep orphanage, wherein committee members personally interacted with the kids. The Season’s first main event the Christmas Bazaar on 12th Dec, was validation that people wanted to get started on enterprise and entertainment! It was a success! This was closely followed by Mistletoe – our KCA Christmas party on the 13th Dec with our online performances of the Nativity and a medley of Carols.

The next year 2021-22 the Same Season was starkly different and contrasted greatly, as online was a thing of the past. The Mass for the Departed Souls on 6th Nov 2021 had a good attendance at St. Joseph’s Chapel. Christmas 2021 had a calendar of assorted goodies. KCA reached out to the senior citizens with their warmth and care. The KCA Christmas Bazaar on 11th Dec brought in record number of stalls and an even larger number of members. This event was a first in terms of us inviting the FKCA and KE to participate. This paved the way for further event collaborations. The KCA Mistletoe on 4th Dec 2021 brought with it the refreshing Yuletide spirit!

The pandemic made webinars a common practice. The KCA was an early adapter, and through this platform we reached out to our members. We received very positive feedback from our members, and this prompted us to work a timetable of programs which catered to the specific needs of different age groups.

We started with Drishti and Education Webinar on 14th Aug 2021; with over 200 student registrations in attendance and a power packed panel. This was followed by a highly relevant, and useful webinar on ‘Wills and Probates’ on 16th Oct 2021 by Mr. Robinson D’Souza. Not stopping with this , the next Webinar on Equity Investment of 15th Jan 2022 was a sellout with market gurus Mr. Kenneth Andrade, Sanjay Dham & Ruchi Pandey guiding us well. KCA looked beyond just wills and equity , it reached out to the everyday needs of members too. “I COME FIRST“– on March 13th 2022, was a presentation for women to dedicate time to Conversation, Body, Work and Meditation. Thank you Dr Evelet Sequeira, Shirin Lewis & Shamain Kapsi who conducted this program. Our annual outreach program BOUNDI in May 2022, was a celebration of life after 26 months of COVID imposed restrictions. The one-day program with all KCA families was held at Ferns Aspen Heights Resort .

We also thank Nerry D’Silva who conducted two sessions of “KONKANI ULOVYAN” the first one on 1st Jul 2021 and the second one on 26th Feb 2022. This initiative was taken up to hone our Konkani articulation. We, Mangaloreans, love our food! We launched “KUZNANTH” to demonstrate traditional Mangalorean preparations, and to speak more about our cuisine. The episodes were shared with the community digitally.

The KCA entrepreneurs are a growing community. Toward our goal – to encourage new entrepreneurs and youth to make robust business plans – we invited prominent business leaders, Adrian D’Souza and Errol Fernandes to present and lead sessions for this purpose. The Start-up Entrepreneurs program was held in 2021 and got a large number of members thinking. A team of our committee members visited “His Paradise for the Deserted”, a home run by Sr. Monica for abandoned children who are mentally and physically challenged. Sr. Monica has been running this Home since 2014. Dear members do visit these children. They are sure to enjoy your visit, and make you feel loved, too!

The KCA held the much celebrated “Mood Mangalorean” event with great flourish and traditional fervour. On 27th August 2022, Mood Mangalorean enthralled one and all with good food, music from a leading Goan band, the Tidal wave and a cultural program. The venue – Catholic Club – was dressed in traditional style , and many members were in awe of the beautiful setting for the evening. Despite very heavy rains, our members mingled, enjoyed good traditional food, great company, vibrant music, and eventually dancing in the rain. A community in celebration is beautiful to behold!

For the very first time the KCA committee has skillfully negotiated and worked out an international trip to Turkey with Thomas cook, in Sept-Oct 2022. The numbers are flowing in do contact the committee members to register.

A lot has happened over the last two years. We have made a 100 new members in the past two years. There is a lot to be grateful for – much learning, camaraderie with my fellow committee members, challenges that only increase strength and spirit, and make us more resilient. It has brought each one of us on the committee, many blessings, connectedness, and the joy that we have each other, and belong to a thriving, loving community. Thank you very much, my committee members. The shoulders of people in particular who I heavily relied on – the Treasurer & the core committee – thank you for making my job lighter. Dear members I thank you all for the support and proactive involvement in making our events enjoyable. I bid adieu with this thought, to see change we all must be the change.

“Vision without action is merely a dream; action without vision is merely passing time; but vision and action together can change the world.”― Sudha Murty,

Thank you

Hilma Roach

The KCA AGM

Renewed zeal to serve

The KCA (Kanara Catholic Association), AGM was held on September 26, 2021. A buoyant committee attended to the day’s proceedings. Despite COVID scares, over 90 members of the community participated. At solemn Mass, Fr. Joseph Royan CSsR, preached a thought-provoking homily and spoke of a “limitless God”.
Breakfast was served, after which the proceedings of the AGM began. The report on activities for the year 2021 was presented by President, Hilma Roach. Despite the pandemic there were a host of activities carried through. Programs in response to COVID were rolled out in a timely manner. COVID relief measures, and the donation of ambulances to the Archbishop of Bengaluru, were the first to take off. As continuous engagement with the vulnerable members, visits to elderly were carried out. Webinars for youth towards help with higher education was conducted. The e-Khobar was launched to communicate brief and regular updates to the community.

An update was also given on the KCA property, presently lying subjudice. Two resolutions were passed at the meeting: the first was to increase the lifetime membership of KCA from Rs 2,500 for members above 25 to Rs 5,000. The second resolution, was with regard to the criteria for the Manik award which was amended to make the criteria more relevant to present times. A new committee for 2021-2022 with Hilma Roach as president, was also re-elected by the AGM.

In continuing efforts to promote members’ enterprise, and initiatives, six stalls were offered to members free for their products like linen, Christmas decorations, wines, and other home based products which generated great interest and patronage among members. The lunch menu was deliciously Mangalorean! It included patrade with mutton, chicken roce, sorpotel, Kashmir pulao, other dishes, with desert of vorn and a twist of a sweet pan.
Several community leaders joined in the program – the FKCA president Silvian Noronha, KWT president Sylvester D’Souza, and other presidents like Vinodh Monteiro of Konkan Samudhai, Jayanagar, Michael D’Souza of KCA Mathikere, and Arun D’Souza of KONKAB.

It was a great privilege to have many former KCA presidents – Francis Colaco, Brig. Gonsalves, Bertha Fernandes, Victor Menezes and Errol Fernandes – participate in the program and fellowship. The KCA lauds their contribution to the community over the years.

Committee 2021-2022

Hilma Roach  President, Roshan Menezes Vice President, Lunita D’Sa. Secretary, Jane Pinto Joint Secretary, Shoba Pinto Treasurer

Committee Members

Palini Pinto, Shanthi Peres, Clemence D’Silva, Cheryl Rebello, Ajay Fernandes, Lavina Lobo, Harriette Rebello, Karen Prabhu, Adrian D’Souza, Ivan Pinto, Dr Joseph Rasquinha, Sharmila Martis Arora, Veena Serrao, Marriette Vaz
Immediate Past President  Marjorie Texeira.

Youth Members
Jason Fernandes
Alisha Peres