In an era where many claim to be social workers with hardly any social work to their credit, there are some genuine people who will feel the pulse of their village and act accordingly, out of sheer zeal, enthusiasm and generosity.
Agnelo Mendonca from Raparowaddo in Varca, popularly known as Agnelo Varca among the locals, was closely associated with the priests in his village. Since childhood, he developed a liking towards the ministry of the priests and whenever a new priest was appointed in the parish, he would always be there for to make acquaintances.
While taking the new pastors around the village to different wards in order that the shepherd knows his sheep, Agnelo would simultaneously assist in the church as the sacristan. “During the Christmas season,” he informs, “organization of Sports Day was a rarity in the parish so the initiative was taken in 1956-59 to organize such an event annually through generous contribution from the fellow villagers.”
Even when Agnelo decided to fly to Gulf seeking greener pastures, on his return home for vacation, he would make it a point to continue with the same activity which he believed brought in unity and brotherhood among the villagers.
Somewhere in 1969, during his stay in his village, Agnelo noticed that his fellow brethren faced umpteen hardships due to bad inner roads. “Due to absence of a coffin carrier, sometimes the villagers had to carry the corpse on their shoulders and travel a distance of 5 kilometres,” he mentioned.
Noticing the plight of his villagers, especially the lower class, Agnelo took the responsibility of getting a coffin carrier and placed an order for it with 7 Brothers in Benaulim. “Besides the coffin carrier, an order was also placed for a coffin so that the poor could avail of the facility. “Once the coffin was made available,” he reveals, “the poor would carry their departed in that free-of-cost coffin from their residence and later the corpse would be alighted and made to descend in the grave at the cemetery.”
Although the coffin no longer exists today for the service of others, the coffin carrier is available for funerals in the village till date and Agnelo has shouldered the responsibility of taking care of its maintenance. “The coffin was utilized by the poor people for almost 10-15 years,” he said.
During his stay in Abu Dhabi, when Agnelo realized that a cancer hospital was taking shape at Dona Paula and fund raising was the need of the hour, he stepped forward and staged his tiatr ‘Bharaincar’ and collected Rs 60,000 towards the construction of X’ray Block at the hospital under the guidance of Goa Cancer Society. But he attributed the generous collection as sheer donation by the Abu Dhabi Goans.
When Andhra Pradesh was affected by floods and thousands lost their lives while several became homeless, an announcement made through Agnelo’s initiative motivated the Lebanese, Egyptians and even the British to donate clothes and contact with Indian embassy helped to despatch suitcases of clothes via the Air India Airways.
In 1979 Agnelo realized the urgency of a bus shed in his village. “Then, there were no bus sheds all along the coastal belt,” he said, “and the first one was erected in the village when the International Year of the Child celebrations were underway. The shed was blessed by the then Bishop Jose Colaco and inaugurated by the then governor Pratap Singh Gill and it is still maintained by him. “To commemorate the Year of the Child,” he narrated, “all children born in the village were provided passbooks. The passbooks of the accounts were received by mothers of the new borns.”
Besides timely assistance to 10 deserving students of St Mary’s High School, Agnelo also a Hindu boy, who succeeded to complete his higher studies. As part of Disabled Day celebrations in the village, handicap from neighbouring villages like Benaulim, Orlim Carmona and Cavelossim were brought under one umbrella and entertained, besides providing necessary help. Seven institutions including schools and missionaries were given financial aid amounting to Rs 40,000 through the sale of his daughter Mona Lisa’s audio cassette ‘Mona Lisa’.
“The parochial school did not have a stage,” informs Agnelo, “with the timely help from the Congress government it was constructed and today all cultural activities are held on the concrete stage which stands tall at the side of the church.”
Agnelo’s contribution towards promotion of Konkani language and publications is no less. During his stay in Abu Dhabi, he was instrumental to promote the only Konkani monthly magazine ‘Gulab’ abroad among the Goans there and was appointed it’s representative.
Agnelo’s involvement and contribution also includes as ex-member of forest department wildlife advisory board, cultural secretary of Varca Sports Club for almost 30 years and continues till date. He was also the member of Varca Co-operative Society, besides ex-member of Goa Football Association and his service lasted for almost 7 years.
Agnelo was also attorney of Fabrica in Varca church for three terms, besides being a member of visiting committee of Hospicio Hospital, Margao and member of Goa Cultural and Social Centre, Panaji, where he continues till date. He has also served as president of the chapel of St Cross in his ward for 20 years and continues.
For his immense generous contribution, Agnelo was felicitated by Goa Cultural and Social Centre in 1986, followed by Varca Sports Club on three occasions. He received the Kala Gaurav Puraskar 2010-11 from the directorate of art and culture for his contribution towards tiatr at the hands of Vishnu Surya Wagh, besides being feted by village panchayat as social worker.
Agnelo attributes his success in the field of social work to Divine Providence and ample timely support received from his wife, Joana Mendonca.
