Kenya, Kipp and Martus (a human-rights, software-based reporting tool)


Kipchumbah John [Kipp] is a Kenya-based techie. One of the projects he's worked on is the human-rights reporting tool Martus. Says he: "Martus has totally been revolutionalised in Kenya. It has changed the way we look at human rights Monitoring and advocay to give more emphasis on information presentation on human rights. Now we are developing an SMS module for human rights reporting after a successful Budget tracking tool was deployed which as a feedback mechanism via sms. We are also launching one more : www.opengovernance.info "


kenya software martus iac2009 iac09 ict4d

Romi Konkani, the case for it... (Tomazinho Cardozo)


Former Goa Speaker, dramatist and writer Tomazinho Cardozo makes a case of why Romi (Roman-script) Konkani needs recognition and acceptance in in today's Goa. Interview by Frederick Noronha.


Goa India Konkani South Asia language politics linguistics in

Mando... backstage


What's it like behind the colour and music at a mando festival, an event that annually celebrates this interesting song-dance from of traditional Goa? Visit some of the scenes, and talk to the people, with FN/Frederick Noronha


goa music Portuguese-influence mando song-dance Konkani kala academy panjim India

The Prince of Konkani Humour: Prince Jacob


Why did he take to comedy? What's the challenges in producing films in Konkani? What needs to be done to take Konkani stories to the big screen? And what are his upcoming plans? PRINCE JACOB, the popular figure of the Konkani stage (and of the recent film PADRI) spends seven minutes focussing on these issues in an exclusive interview with FN.


prince jacob goa konkani india film theatre tiatr western india ex-portuguese language small languages

Goodbye to a teacher, friend and guide


Ivan Rocha, a popular teacher from North Goa's Mapusa town's St Britto's died at 61, and here are some scenes from his funeral at the village of Parra.


teacher ivan rocha popular goa mapusa britto st britto's english teacher quiz competition ex-portuguese colony india goa state

The feni making process... Chorao Island, Goa, April 2011


Traditional Goa's most potent cashew-based brew is called feni. The cashew fruit, incidentally, was brought into Goa by the Portuguese, from Brazil. Workers explain how the the feni is made from squeezing cashew apples.


feni-making feni cashew apples distillation goa india coastal western india tradtional liquor cashew-apple feni age-old technologies

Kalyan Varma: Renowned Wildlife Photographer.


When I knew Kalyan Varma first, he was a young college student. Then, he morphed into a techie, working for Yahoo.in. Now, he has reinvented himself even more drastically, to emerge as one of the top wildlife photographers in India! FN


goa kalyan varma wildlife photographer bangalore ex-bangalore LUG wildlife photography in india

From Tajikistan... issues and news


Saifullo Hikmatov is from Tajikistan... here he explains issues and campaigns from his part of the globe.


tajikistan concerns ngos saifullo hikmatov iac2009 iac09

Goa, Pakistan, Goans, women and more


Deborah Santamaria of the Goenkars' Own Academy (GOA) of Karachi, explains the issues and concerns that emerge from a centre which was once a prominent place for Goan out-migration -- and still has its Goan community there. Email debbie.santamaria@gmail.com


goa goans karachi pakistan expat goan communities overseas communities goenkars' own academy institutions former portuguese colonies west coast of india pre-partition migration india-pakistan migration

Open Street Maps, and all that


Mikel Eruch Maron is a board member of the OpenStreetMap Foundation. OpenStreetMap aims to build free and open maps of the entire world. It is primarily made by volunteers surveying with cheap GPS units. Says he: "Anyone can contribute, and anyone is welcome to use the map. I serve on the OSM Foundation Board, and advocate OSM use for development and humanitarian needs. Have travelled to India, Palestine, Kenya, and many other places in this pursuit, and have wide links within the UN and NGOs."


open street maps free maps mikel eruch maron iac2009 iac09 bangalore india

A Documentary Film on Goan Handicrafts (1/2)


This film was created for the GHRSSIDC, the Goa Handicrafts, Rural & Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd: Neugi Nagar, Rua de Ourem, Panjim 403001 Goa. Contact +91-832-2228157 or 2225328 or 2224478. Fax +91-832-2228158. Email: marketing@ghrssidc.org, md@ghrssidc.org Website www.ghrssidc.org See Part 2 alongside. This documentary was created with assistance of the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles.


goa handicrafts documentary aparant goan handicrafts emporium ghrssidc ghrssidc.org traditional handicrafts bamboo earthernware coconut handicrafts indian ministry of textiles

Konkani-English Christmas carols from Goa, 2009


At the Kala Acacemy's Festival of Carols, Goa, December 18, 2009.


goa india christmas carols christmas carols kala academy festival of carols panjim campal 2009

Sonia Shirsat .. . Goan Fado singer


The lady with the powerful voice. A Cesera Evora in the making... From the Sigmund and Friends concert, May 10, 2009.


fado goa sonia shirsat

Child sex abuse... and issues from India


Vidya Reddy is with Tulir -- Centre for the Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse -- in Chennai, India. The group works on buidling awareness and responding to child sexual abuse. It has been working "towards every child's right to be safe all the time from child sexual abuse". An interview....


vidya reddy tulir child-sex abuse india chennai ngos

Hand-massage, from the Philippines


This is what the Wikipedia says about Hilot, the Philippine-style hand massage, "Hilot (/hee-lot/) is an ancient Filipino art of healing, commonly used today to relax stressed muscles. Masahista (Hilot practitioners) as well as arbularyos are usually cheaper alternatives to medical doctors in the Philippines, especially in very deep rural areas. Hilot employ chiropractic manipulation and massage for the diagnosis and treatment of musculoligamentous and musculoskeletal ailments. They also have been known to reset dislocated and sprained joints such as the knee, ankle, fingers and metacarpal bones. Hilot tend to be chiropractors while arbularyos tend to be herbalists. Midwives are also called hilots." en.wikipedia.org And if you watch this video, you'll see what Mei Orias has to say about it.... a neat explanation, with an actual demo.


Philippines massage hand-massage healing children's massage

Music from Prince Jacob's Konkani film *Padri*... by a brass band


TheMother Teresa Brass Band of the Karnataka town of Honnavar, performs in the municipal garden at Panjim on March 7, 2011. In an event staged by the Thomas Stephens Konknni Kendr, Alto Porvorim en.wikipedia.org


konkani music goa honnavar mother teresa brass band public performances garcia da orta garden panjim western music old style

Portuguese music, from Goa


Rendered by Chico Fonseca, guitarist.


guitar music western music india west coast chico fonseca

VRR ON WRITING: My advice to newbies


Prominent writer and former journalist offers advice to newbies wanting to enter the field.


writing creative india goa vrr provorim

Goan food, on being an author... and more: Odette Mascarenhas (1/2)


Author Odette Mascarenhas recently released her new book A CULINARY ESCAPADE OF GOA. She has earlier authored another food-linked book, about her father-in-law and master-chef Masci. She talks about her experiences, her TV programme on food, and also her two other books for children. Email her at odette.mascarenhas@gmail.com


taste buds kitchens restaurants in goa goan food indian food subregion goa

Menin Rodrigues... on the Goans of Pakistan


Rodrigues explains the situation of an expat community of Goa... from Karachi.


goa expats karachi menin rodrigues

An interview with Alaa Abd El Fatah


Alaa Abd El Fatah is a prominent Egyptian techie-activist, now working in South Africa (on the translate.co.za project). Here are some of his views on the difference that info-campaigning has made to issues in the land of the Pharoes.


egypt campaigning cyber-campaigning technology ict4d iac2009 iac09

Cafe Prakash? Why?


Voices from Goa tell you why Cafe Prakash, a tiny restaurant in Goa, now has pretension of being the 'unofficial press club of Goa'. Listen to Prakash Sakhalkar (after whom the restaurant is named), Ralino Sequeira, campaigner Soter D'Souza, writer Nagueshbab Karmali, Manoj Joshi, meet the staff, and hear homeopath Sushrut Martins, current manager 'Babu' Kaplesh Sakhalkar, Miguel Braganza, and Gomantak Times deputy news editor Ashley do Rosario. In English and Konkani.


Goa India press media alternatives restaurants Panjim Panaji

Imelda Tavora... a (prominent) voice from Goa's airwaves (of the yesteryears) (1/3)


Author, radio-announcer of the yesteryears Imelda Tavora talks about her three books and her days in radio in Goa. Interview by FN. March 26, 2010. Today, radio is disappointing, says an outspoken "Your's Truly" Imelda. Everyone would remember her as the Your Favourites lady! Her memoirs (in two voluimes) are available in local newsstands (best bet: Mandovi Hotel, Panjim)


radio goa announcer imelda tavora airwaves in goa emissora de goa all india radio akashvani 1961 turmoil in goa broadcasting in goa broadcasting in lisbon english in colonial goa

CiviCRM... and Michal Mach


Michal Mach is a Polish programmer who co-founded CiviCRM. What's the project about? Why is it particularly relevant and useful to non-profits? Michal takes time off during a recent un-conference in Bangalore, South India, to give a good explanation of these issues....


civicrm software social software software for non-profits CRM for non-profits michal mach iac2009 iac09

Sree... of Mahiti.org


Sreekanth Shamaiah Rameshaiah is the CEO of Mahiti.org. This group's aim is to "reduce the cost and complexity of using Information Technology through the strategic use of Free/Open Source solutions". Says he, "Technology can be a great enabler. It can be effectively used to provide greater acces sto inormation to people who are deprived of it. We have been part of projects where mobile-phone are used as tools reduce/ remove information access barriers."


mahiti.org ngos technology bangalore india iac2009 iac09 non-profit nptech

Lourdes Convent Saligao... an Indian dance


Girl students of Lourdes Convent in Saligao, Goa put up an Indian invocation dance at their annual parents' day Nov 27, 2009.


goa indian dance saligao bardez lourdes convent high school traditional dance india indian

Imelda Tavora... a (prominent) voice from Goa's airwaves (of the yesteryears) (2/3)


Author, radio-announcer of the yesteryears Imelda Tavora talks about her three books and her days in radio in Goa. Interview by FN. March 26, 2010. She switched from broadcasting in Goa, to Lisbon and back again here, in the tumultous times of the 1960s.


radio goa announcer imelda tavora airwaves in goa emissora de goa all india radio akashvani 1961 turmoil in goa broadcasting in goa broadcasting in lisbon english in colonial goa

Carmel College girls since Christmas carols at Goa's Kala Academy, Dec 2009


Carmel College girls since Christmas carols at Goa's Kala Academy, Dec 2009


goa carols christmas christmas carols kala academy carmel's college nuvem girls choir india western india

Nostalgia... Konkani-style (by Rui Lobo)


"Adeus Korchea Vellar" (The Time To Say Goodbye) is a very, very emotional song from the Konkani-region of Goa, an emigration-oriented area for generations, that has know the price of departure from a scenic, attractive yet poor-employing province. Played here by engineer-guitarist (IITian) Rui Lobo loborui at hotmail.com


Konkani guitar rui lobo nostalgia emotion partings

Joanna DeMello sings


After a year in the UK, Goan singer Joanna DeMello is back at the Monte Music Festival. Jan 25, 2009.


goa music monte Fundacao Oriente old goa

A fado, as renderedby Rui Lobo


Fado (translated as destiny or fate) is a music genre which can be traced from the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. In popular belief, Fado is a form of music characterized by mournful tunes and lyrics, often about the sea or the life of the poor. However, in reality Fado is simply a form of song which can be about anything, but must follow a certain structure. (Source: Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org Check out how Rui Lobo of Goa renders one such Fado.


goa fado portuguese western india rui lobo

Mister Clerk ... the story of the lives of Goans in Africa, and more... (1/3)


Mervyn Maciel, the author of B'wana Karani which means Mister Clerk ![www.goanvoice.org.uk was present at the launch of The Third Thursday Goa Book Club in Panjim on Nov 18, 2010. The octogenarian tells about his writing, life of the "Africander Goans" and some more experiences. Part 1 of 3.


goa diaspora africa b'wana karani mervyn maciel indian expats united kingdom colonial times

A guitar concert from Goa


AGOG (Acoustic Guitar Orchestra of Goa) is an ensemble of classical guitar students led by Rui Lobo and Roque Lazarus, under the mentorship of Schubert Cotta. This March 21, 2009 concert held at the Maquinez Palace in Panjim is a part of an ongoing series of performing opportunity, where students and their mentors gave a platform to present their music and be appreciated by a supportive audience. AGOG performed some pieces by French composers and other European composers, as well as a Goan (Konkani) song.


agog goa india maquinez palace rui lobo guitar classical

Understanding history, looking at Goa's art


The Xavier Centre of Historical Research, whose founder-director was Dr Teotonio R de Souza in the 1970s, is now looking to grow and expand. Meet current director, Jesuit priest Dr Delio de Mendonca sj, who introduces us to the campus and elaborates on their dreams and plans that hopefully will come true one day. Video: FN


Goa India history Indo-Portuguese Porvorim Jesuit religion Lisbon library museum Angelo de Fonseca