KCA Khobar March 2025

Khobar March2025

President’s Corner

Dear Members,

It has been six months since your new committee 2024-25 came into being. A look into the the progress has been consistent.

Our KCA initiated WhatsApp groups have been very active and are a way of communica connecting with our members. The weekly ‘Jar of Good Things’ was launched on January Lounge which calls for our ladies to share their happy moments and blessings. The KCA L launched on January 15 and provides an avenue for our book lovers to connect and share t a pleasant January afternoon, the winners of the KCA Crib Competition 2024 bonded ov handed over their prizes. th

Realizing that we need to start the New Year 2025 on a healthy note, KCA took the initiative of donating towards the sports activities conducted by our umbrella organization FKCA. January also saw the KCA doing its bit towards the education of girl children by contributing Rs. 1 lakh to the Catholic Women’s League (SFX Branch). In February, our E-Khobhar was revived and promises to celebrate our KCA Achievers. It will also be a platform where our members can check on the various business entities that have offered a discount to our card holders.

President’s Corner contd..

In March, we launched the popular 10 conversational Konkani Ulovyan online classes with Mr. Narious (Neri) D'silva. The response has been very good. In celebration of International Women’s Day in the KCA Ladies’ Lounge, a call was made to ‘Place that Tiara’ or acknowledge the women who have inspired members to be better versions of themselves. In our ongoing commitment to good health, KCA launched the Green-Trail initiative, a nature trail at Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest, Yelahanka, on March 16 . Mr. Jai Sharma, National Geographic Certified Wildlife and Nature Educator, was the guide to our 40 enthusiastic participants. th We have also launched an initiative to update the KCA members’ database so that in future we are able to pull relevant data which would help us identify our target audience and in turn have suitable programs aimed towards them.

The season of Lent, a time of spiritual preparation, is almost over. On behalf of the KCA Managing Committee, I thank the Lord for his many blessings showered on the KCA and its members. May the grace of Easter fill your heart with joy and your soul with peace.

Happy Easter!

Kanara Catholic Association and Catholic Women’s League

~ Shanti Peres

The Kanara Catholic Association was happy to donate a sum of Rs. 1 lakh to the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) SFX Branch, to fund their well-deserved project of educating underprivileged girl children. This sum was put together by the KCA through our members donating generously towards the Crochet-for-a-Cause Raffle, a large-hearted donor, and the balance met by the KCA.

The Catholic Women’s League has been in existence since 1970 and is an association of 58 ladies from different walks of life. The main objective is to educate underprivileged girl children from disadvantaged economic backgrounds to enable them to empower themselves and finally their family. They support approximately 250 school children. Many of them are children of domestic workers.

KCA is privileged to support this noble cause.

We the Women of KCA... aka the Ladies’ Lounge

~ Luvena Rangel

In July 2024, KCA initiated a group specifically dedicated to our women members – the KCA Ladies’ Lounge. Since its inception, the group has been a hub of activity – conversations, games, works of charity and even song! The LLers, as the women are lovingly referred to, are an amalgamation of pure joy and enthusiasm, punctuated with forthcoming support and camaraderie.

The collective skillset of the Ladies’ Lounge is clearly one to marvel at. The group boasts a solid array of professionals and talented artistes – doctors, teachers, dancers, writers, scientists, gardeners, bakers, culinary artists, nurses, coaches, homemakers, speakers, finance experts, painters, and so many more! The beauty of the group, however, lies in the quiet strength that it exudes unlike most others. Discussions are constructive, disagreements are agreeable, and the focus remains on cohesive action – be it fun or solemn.

The group aspires to create a space for feminine perspective on all things that matter to women – everything! The discussions we have had on current events, social issues, health and even approaching wellness across age groups have been refreshing. The community crochet blanket showed the illustrious capacity of the KCA women to not only embark upon such a lofty project, but to deliver it in style. Concluding the project towards charity was a powerful culmination of collective goodwill.

This year we also embarked on a 52-week journey to gather our blessings, good news and happy moments towards, the ‘Jar of Good Things’ project. The weekly Wednesday sharing has co-created a space of warmth, goodness and trust – beautifully building a community of shared joy. From little pleasures of nostalgic fruit gifts, to greater joys of renewed health, career promotions, mothering and grand mothering, the LLers have gently allowed themselves to share within the safe & contained space of well-administered group guidelines.

Members aside, our Managing Committee itself is a powerhouse of talented and collaborative women who give their time to the benefit of their community – our community. The prolific growth of KCA by leaps and bounds is a testament to the time, effort and energy dedicated by them in creating, often from scratch, ideas and things of beauty, sustenance and lasting value.

As we end this quarter with March, the month for ‘ women ’ , it is with great joy and pride that I applaud every single member in the Ladies’ Lounge for showing up with authenticity, simplicity and the fullness of being a woman – with the unique quality of gentle courage & perseverance truly makes us who we are.

KCA

Ladies’ Lounge Activities

Spotlight Shining light on our achievers!

Coreen D’souza Fareed

KCA is proud of Coreen D’souza Fareed who was felicitated by St. Agnes College, Mangalore, on International Women’s Day. She received this award for her consistent and exceptional contributions to the field of music over the years and continues to do it to this day. The Singing D’souzas are known for their humongous involvement with music.

Joshua Pereira

Joshua Pereira’ s journey at St. Joseph’s College of Commerce is a testament to his dedication, leadership, and musical excellence. A Bachelor of Commerce graduate, he is an internationally certified concert pianist with distinctions in all eight Trinity College London grades and is currently pursuing advanced diplomas. His versatility spans genres like Funk, R&B, Soul, and Carnatic music, earning him national recognition, including 2nd place at The Mahindra Blues Battle of Bands, where he performed alongside industry legends like Ehsaan Noorani and Ranjit Barot.

At SJCC, Joshua played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape. As Head of the Choir Band for Serenata Chorale 2024 and production in charge for Resound 2023-25, he arranged, produced, and led performances that contributed to the college’s musical excellence. He won every solo instrumental competition he participated in, securing accolades for SJCC and earning the "Young Achiever of the Year 2024" award.

Beyond performance, Joshua has leveraged music for social impact, having served as the lead pianist for The C.A.U.S.E. Foundation’s productions, raising funds for charitable causes, and interning at the Diya Foundation to support differently-abled individuals.

Joshua Pereira contd

Professionally, he is the Manager and Chief Sound Engineer at Streamphony a cutting edge recording and rehearsal studio, and serves on the management at Moksha Academy, where he teaches piano and guitar. He is the primary keyboardist for Moksha All Stars and Juxtaposed, whose original music has been featured in ‘The Rolling Stones’ and ‘Digital India.’ Juxtaposed has their latest EP “Bounce” out on all music streaming platforms Joshua’s ability to balance creative passion with leadership and business acumen led to him being named Best Outgoing Student, OSA 2025, and receiving multiple excellence awards for his contributions to music and the Bengaluru cultural community. His journey reflects perseverance, innovation, and service, inspiring the next generation of artists.

Joshua Pereira

Age 20 years

Son of Rohit & Loretta Pereira

Elder Brother of Nikolas Pereira

Mrs. Olga D’costa

Mrs. Olga D’Costa participated in the Yonex

Sunrise 47th Masters (Veteran) National Badminton Championships 2024-25 held in Goa between 16th to 23rd March 2025 and is seen here receiving the prize from the President of the Goa Badminton Association.

There was no 80+category, so she played in the 75+ category. Despite that, she emerged as a winner and has been selected for the World Cup Championships to be held at Thailand.

Member Talent Showcase

The Girl Next Door

Annette Menezes

She has changed and evolved

The fighting spirit, to remain equal to the male gender

She has the vision to dream big

Not just as somebody's daughter, wife or lover.

She has the zeal to work hard

Keep her family happy and fend for her future

She can multitask and navigate

Through tough times, without giving up.

She has the extra drive and spirit

Adorns the dual role of a mother and executive

She chooses what she wants to be

Strikes the balance between both and sync.

She has the enigma and determination

She is not just a pretty face with make up

A woman of substance, so wake up.

She: A Phenomenal Woman

Maria Sheetal Moses Dsouza

Girls are born to the privileged few,

A blessing they are pure and true.

Their birth brings joy, happiness anew.

Daughter she is, a princess so bright, Endless demands, yet a heart full of light.

Her jabbering talks brings us so much delight.

She is a sister, a friend for life,

An unbreakable bond through any strife.

Through thick and thin, she’s my guiding light.

She is a wife, my strength in despair, Engulfing me in love everywhere.

Without her, I am incomplete.

She is a mother, an angel true,

Without her my world feels blue.

A phenomenal woman—we celebrate you!

KCA News & Updates

Christmas Crib Contest 2024

Membership Update

Konkan Samudhai Bhavan

Konkani Ulovya Green Trail Expedition

KCA Boundi: Georgia & Armenia

Christmas Crib Contest 2024

Congratulations to Annette Menezes for winning the KCA Christmas Crib Competition 2024!

Seen here are the competition entrants receiving their prize hampers from the KCA Managing Committee:

(L to R): Anisha Lobo, Jane Pereira, Enid Prabhu, Luvena Rangel, Shanti Peres & Annette Menezes

Many thanks to our generous sponsors:

Skin & Hair Co

Membership Update

~ Managing Committee Members, Dianney Lobo, Tina Alva

KCA has around 1900 primary members in its database. Unfortunately, there are many outdated telephone numbers, email ids and home addresses which are incomplete, missing or no longer relevant as our members may have relocated to other cities or countries. A team has been formed to carefully go through the database and fill in any gaps. Committee members may reach out to you if information is required. Having a proper functioning database will enable us to get an accurate picture of our members, better understand the requirements and effectively target our programs.

Over the past year, we have generated around 1300 e-Cards to our Primary Members, their spouses and children. This is an ongoing process with the hope that the card will ultimately prove beneficial to our members by availing discounts at collaborating business establishments.

Konkan Samudhai Bhavan: Pride & Joy of the Mangalorean Community

~ Shanti Peres

The Mangalorean community should indeed be proud.

The Konkan Samudhai Bhavan, popularly known as KSB, is situated off the Ring Road, Chellekere, Bengaluru 560043. One look at this magnificent structure and you begin to marvel at the visionaries who brought this project to life for the benefit of future generations of the Mangalorean community. We recall the love, sacrifice and hard work of our philanthropists, donors, well-wishers and members of the community who poured their heart and soul into ensuring that the community had a place to call their own.

The Kanara Catholic Association (KCA) Bangalore has its very own office space to hold regular monthly meetings there. The Bhavan has a beautiful air-conditioned Main Hall with a capacity of 500 and there is also a Mini Hall to seat 150. The stunning Rooftop space is a favourite with many. The halls have seen wedding receptions, engagement ceremonies, Roce ceremonies, First Holy Communions, birthday parties, seminars and more.

Konkan Samudhai Bhavan

Feeling

More Mangalorean with Konkani Ulovya

~ Coreen D’souza Fareed

On the 8th of March, the KCA had our first session of Konkani Ulovya, with 40 members who have come on board to 'Feel more Mangalorean'.

What better way to feel this than by learning how to speak our Mother Tongue? With guidance from Mr. Narious ‘Nerry’ D'silva, who is very fluent in the language, the end of April will see more KCA members conversing in Konkani. The sessions take place twice a week online, making it convenient for Mangaloreans around the world to participate. An offline meet-up at our premises, Konkan Samudhai Bhavan, will be held on completion of the course.

Until then Mog Asundi!!

Green Trail Expedition a Resounding Success

~ Roshan Menezes

On Sunday, March 16th 2025, 40 enthusiastic members of KCA gathered at the crack of dawn at the Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest in Yelahanka. Led by Jai Sharma, a National Geographic-certified wildlife and nature educator, the group embarked on an exciting trail.

As they navigated the scenic route, Mr. Sharma expertly identified various species of birds, insects, trees, and flowers, providing valuable insights to the participants. The experience proved highly rewarding, with members gaining a deeper appreciation for nature. Following the trail, the group relaxed over a hot breakfast and steaming cups of coffee, bonding over their shared adventure. As a pleasant surprise, e-certificates were distributed to all participants.

The response to the Green Trail expedition has been overwhelmingly positive, with members eagerly anticipating the next outing. We will keep you updated on upcoming events.

KCA Boundi: Ready... Set... Georgia & Armenia

~ Shanti Peres

Forty-Eight bags are getting ready to be packed as our KCA intrepid travellers are gearing up to visit Georgia and Armenia in May 2025.

Georgia, nestled at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, is a unique blend of ancient history, vibrant culture, and stunning natural beauty. It was one of the first places in the Christian world to lay the groundwork for three-part harmonies in church music. Georgia is also home to the world’s oldest winemaking tradition, offering some of the most unique and authentic wines in the world. Making wine in clay vessels qvevri has an 8,000 year-old history. Starting in late summer, every family makes sauces, like sour plum tkemali sauce, spicy ajika, and tomato sauce for the winter.

Armenia, a land rich in history and culture, offers a unique blend of ancient monasteries, vibrant cities, and stunning landscapes. This is a destination where you will be intrigued by history, awed by monuments, amazed by the landscape and charmed by down-to-earth locals.

KCA Boundi: Ready... Set... Georgia & Armenia

In Fond Remembrance

Puzzlers’ Nook

~Luvena Rangel

Wishing all our dear members a very Happy Easter!

KCA Managing Committee