A tete-a-tete with Spoorthi Dhama founders Keshav and Pramila Vaz

By Alphonse Mendonca
Bellevision Media Network

Abu Dhabi, 17 January 2013:  I had hardly known about Spoorthi organization that there is an organization existed who helped the under-privileged children somewhere in Kundapur.  That is exactly what I said yesterday morning while I was driving to my office when my good friend Conrad D’Souza called me.  His next question was do you want to meet the founders of the Spoorthi ??  and would like to interview them for your site Bellevision?? .  I was a little hesitant as I was totally unprepared to meet the people whom I hardly knew and even their organization.  I was in two minds but Conrad requested and I obliged and promised to meet them after my work in the evening.  He also told me that there is a drama organized in Dubai on Friday to generate some revenue for this organization.  Yes I knew the drama announcement via Mr. Sarvotham Shetty (President, Karnataka Sangha Abu Dhabi) but not knowing more details on this drama.  However, I agreed to meet the founders and have a tete-a-tete with them.

 

 

 

 

At the end of my work I realized I had to know something about Spoorthi organization prior to meeting the founders and to my amazement what found a wealth of information on their activities through their website www.spoorthi.org.in .  The headlines read: 

 

“Spoorthi is an organisation started in 1993 with an objective to help the socially, economically and academically deprived and oppressed folk from the “ backward” KORAGA community from the southern coastal region of Karnataka, India, in an effort to tackle the problem at its root.   Spoorth’s efforts are focused on arming the youngest ones of the Koraga community with an education, the mental and spirited confidence to take on their promising new world, and a relatively fuller stomach.. to get there…“

 

Yes, now I knew who are they and what their activities are and urge to meet these great people increased within me and I straight I headed towards Conrads residence to meet them and have a brief conversation and know them more and more and their activities.  While driving my mind also went back to my childhood in Pangla wherein Koragas treated as third class people and were eating whatever left out what we call in Konkani Usten from marriage meals and other ceremonies and now I feel very ashamed that I too was part of this inhuman treatment to the Koraga community.

 

When I reached Conrad’s building, Keshav Koteshwara himself met me and greeted me below the building and led to Conrad’s flat.  For our viewers info Conrad D’Souza is a community Leader here in Abu Dhabi and Vice President of St. Joseph’ Parish Council and a very busy man.  His wife Sharmila is daughter of famous Konkani comedy writer Pidvaz Kundapur and Pramila Vaz the main founder of Spoorthi is her sister.  Secondly she is married to Keshav and hence I had good knowledge on them to have an interview.

 

After the greetings and a cup of tea and kuswaar offered by Conrad, we sat for a short tete-a-tete.

 

The interview took place in three languages Konkani with Pramila Vaz, Kannada with Keshav Koteshwar and English with both. :

 

1.  What is the purpose of your visit to U.A.E?

Keshav:  I was invited by good friend and my classmate Mr. Praveen Shetty of Fortune group of Apartments and also we will be felicitated on behalf of Spoorthi Dhama on getting Karnataka Rajyostava Prashasti in 2012 during staging of Drama “PORLU THOOVADE”

 

2.  What made you to start this Spoorthi and who are involved in the beginning to start this project?

Pramila:  It was in 1993 when Keshav and myself felt that the treatment given to Koraga community is unfair.  There were many incidents happened in front of our eyes in-humanely treating the koraga community and esp. the children were used to work and slog in upper cast peoples houses only for a meal, no school, no education.  We Keshav and myself had the urge we need to do something and hence approached our other friends Ganesh Karunakar and Nithyanand and they agreed and set upon gathering all Koraga children and put in a small shelter called: “ Spoorthi  Dhama“.  We started with 10 koraga children and then MLA Winnifred Fernandes let us in her compound to have them sheltered and run a school and hence Winnifred Compound became their first house.

 

3. How did you manage to educate them?

 

Keshav/Pramila: It was difficult first and every one shut their doors to our request for financial help to educate these kids but we were determined and doubled our efforts going house to house and begging for help.  Many turned us away but eventually, we managed to get some funds of some good hearted people.  At the same time number of children were growing from 10 to 50 plus and we running out of ration and shelter.  Hhowever, we had major breakthrough when we approached so to say our Godfather Dr. Desmon Abreo and his wife Margaret extended their full support to us.

 

4.  What is the contribution of Dr. Desmond?

 

Pramila: Dr. Desmond and his wife were running a charitable foundation in Mangalore and I  had known him when I was doing my MSW in Mangalore and hence it was easy to approach him.  He not only assured but extended his full support financially and also donated half of his money he earned through his fellowship in US and we could buy a land of two and half acre (2 ½) where we could build larger house for children and also children to schools.  Dr. Desmond passed away a few years ago and his wife Margaret passed just a few days ago.  But Spoorthidhama is ever grateful for them and we have built a small Samadhi at our premises in memory of this great donor without which we would not have been able to reach our goals.

 

5.  What is your current strength of Children and how you manage them?

 

Pramila: Currently we have 130 children and glad to inform you that we provide them education upto S.S.L.C and then if anyone interested can go to colleges wherein education loan is made available to them.  We have some children completed nursing and some have passed B.Ed degrees and a few are already got married and settled independently.  Many boys earn their livelihood via Jobs in government offices, drivers, office clerks etc.   We also house 28 senior citizens and look after them. 

For funds, yes, available thru good donors since we have now been recognized we also get about 2% annually from Karnataka Government (Women and Child Development Body) of our total budget. 

 

6.  What are your future plans or your visit to U.A.E has some purpose to collect funds?

 
Keshav: Yes, we need urgently now a good building which will be requiring for administration of day-to-day activities.  We have now 13 staff working on various projects and need office space for them and also a library and a small hall to hold public functions.  Mr. Praveen Shetty has promised us that he entire profit earned through the Drama “Porlu Toovade “ will be donated for us for this purpose.  We have also come out with an appeal (Pramila passed me the appeal) for this purpose and kind request to help us in whatever our Bellevision readers can.  The cost of entire project would be Rs. 30 Lakhs.
Some of our activities are:

* A residential rehabilitation centre for deprived , orphaned, children presently 130 children are living here.
*A Residence for orphaned senior citizens ( Old age)
-An adoption center recognized by Govt. is functioning and giving life to orphaned infants

The appeal is given below for our readers to support this project.

 

7.  Who are helping you out with the project, I mean staff and who will be responsible for this institute in Future?

 

Pramila:  As I said earlier, we have our founder members Ganesha and Nityanand and we have currently Miss. Jiji who is doing her degree and will be doing her MSW in the coming years.  She is quite capable and dedicated person with whom we trust to run the institute effectively in future.  In our absence we is fully in charge of our institution.

With that our brief interview was completed.  We discussed a few olden taboos, customs and difficulties faced by schedule casts and esp. Koraga community but today it is entirely a different story.  I thanked both Pramila Vaz and Keshav for their time and experienced shared with me and wished them good luck and promised that one of our team members will definitely Spoorthidama and get more info and pictures of their daily activities as soon as possible.  

I am grateful for Conrad D’Souza for inviting me to meet these great people and I am sure Bellevision readers will help this foundation:  Spoorthi Dhama  generously.  Their contact numbers are given below.

Please also remember to attend the drama “ Porlu Toovade “ priced at Rs. 20/-  only so that you can help out Keshav and Pramila in their venture.  The drama will be held on Friday  (18th January 2013) at Emirates Theatre (Emirates International School, Dubai)

 

Contact Details:

Keshav Koteshwar, Chief Functionary – 0091-9449101180
Email:  spoorthirdats@rediffmail.com
Website  www.spoorthi.org.in
Kundapura – 576231, Udupi, Karnataka.