CANACONA: Just as a tiny seed grows into a strong tree with a wide canopy, a group of foreigners residing in Canacona for many years has evolved into a vibrant organisation dedicated to developing the rural taluka of Canacona. Established nine months ago, ‘Friends of Canacona’ was initiated by two German women, residents of Canacona for the past 15 years and a Goan, Lloyd Godinho, who returned to his hometown from Mumbai. Lloyd, a singer and event conceptualiser, is joined by Tanja Hohluchte, who runs a kindergarten for foreigners’ children at Colomb, and Ute Ferrao, who is married to a Goan and manages a mini hotel and restaurant that promotes sustainable living.
Friends of Canacona has actively engaged in initiatives such as maintaining Canacona’s cleanliness, addressing stray dog issues, rescuing injured animals, and fundraising for local organisations. No task is considered insignificant by the organisation. With assistance from the local NGO Goenkar, they have learned to navigate the government machinery to achieve their goals related to cleanliness and animal care. It would be pertinent to point out that the so-called backward Canacona has become a haven for international visitors, particularly after the pandemic, for its quiet, serene and green ambience. This has resulted in a number of home stays and other small business enterprises springing up.
The increase in business opportunities have brought with it some problems too, the most vexing of which is garbage management as mixed garbage is seen dumped at various places.
Although the Canacona Municipal Council has set up a system of daily garbage collection from households, black spots where garbage is dumped indiscriminately are increasing every day.
This led to formation of Friends of Canacona with the primary goal of retaining the picturesque facade of the taluka and doing away with the scars left by so-called development.
“We have undertaken quite a number of clean-up jobs in the area besides also conducting programmes to educate people on garbage segregation,” said Lloyd.
“We have also collaborated with local businesspersons to employ garbage collectors and supply them with colourful waste collection carts and safety gear like gloves and boots,” said Ute while adding that they have also provided separate bins to collect broken glass.
She credited Casa Jaali, Bhakti Kutir and Anand Yoga Village for being the first restaurants to join their endeavour.
“Our future plans are to set up a small market for local produce including locally made products,” said Tanja stressing that their aim is to maintain and share the beauty of the area with others.
