Mangalore: SMKC Dubai promotes higher education through financial support


Mangalore: SMKC Dubai promotes higher education through financial support

Fr Francis Rodrigues, Raknno

Mangalore, Jul 10: St Mary's Konkan Community (SMKC), Dubai added another Rs 5 lac to the SMKC Education Trust Fund that was established in the diocese of Mangalore towards the promotion of higher education of poor students of Christian community. A cheque of Rs 5 lac was handed over to Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the bishop of Mangalore on Monday July 8 at the Bishop’s House in Mangalore by Noel Mascarenhas, founder president and Joe Fernandes, the founder advisor of SMKC.

“One of the key objectives of the St Joseph’s Engineering College (SJEC) established by the diocese of Mangalore is to help bright students from poor families. While the richer folk of the society can afford to pay and pursue higher studies, the poor families from rural places are unable to send their children for professional courses because of the expensive nature of these courses. In the initial years SMKC came forward to help some of these poor families to pursue engineering studies by supporting them financially. Because of their help we could give scholarships to some poor students for their engineering studies. They have not only helped Christian students but have also helped students from other communities,” said Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza on the occasion.

“It is very consoling to know that because of the help given by SMKC nearly 20 students have completed their engineering studies and have gone into earning jobs and professions. I appreciate the generosity and goodwill of the founder president Noel Mascarenhas and Jenifer Mascarenhas who had taken initiative for such a help. I appreciate all the supporters and donors who have helped the poor through the SMKC and pray the Almighty Lord to bless them generously,” he added.

SMKC Education Trust Fund was established in 2004 at Bishop's House, Mangalore and has been managed well to cater to many poor families of the coastal region with regard to professional studies.

According to Noel Mascarenhas, the founder president of SMKC, “So far, Rs 1.43 crore has been donated by SMKC for educational and other deserving causes and persons during the span of a decade. Rs 37 lac has been used for helping students in engineering studies, Rs 5.90 lac for nursing studies, Rs 2.5 lac for MBBS studies, Rs 1.5 lac for MBA, and Rs 1 lac for technical and teacher trainings.”

SMKC officials said that as of now 18 engineering students, 38 BSc nursing students, 2 MBBS students, one MBA student, 5 ITI-civil diploma-polytechnics students, and 3 BEd students have completed their respective courses through the financial support of SMKC. Rs 2 lac was granted to each engineering/MBBS student to complete their 4-5 year course, while Rs one lac was given to an MBA student and Rs 20,000 to each UG/technical student. All these students have signed a promissory note to return some amount to the Education Trust Fund to help other deserving students and so far Rs 9 lac has been returned by the beneficiary students who have settled well in jobs. At the moment the SMKC is financially supporting one MBBS and 4 engineering students from economically weak families.

According to Joe Fernandes, the founder adviser, “The SMKC is the first association which started to promote higher education and professional courses with a special focus on the economically weak students. The SMKC not only used the interest of the fund collected but also the corpus itself is being used for the promotion of higher education amidst the poorer class.”

“We are especially thankful to the generous members, benefactors, and donors who have joined hands with us with lot of confidence in our association - present president of SMKC Veronica Rego, vice-president Paul Culaso and others who have helped us to promote good causes through SMKC. This year SMKC Dubai was able to generate funds for Education Trust Fund through SMKC ‘Surf and Care’ campaign. Our sponsors have been very understating and supportive for this novel idea. We have also helped in a number of deserving medical cases, enabling families meet major and expensive sicknesses. The SMKC has also helped infrastructural, linguistic, cultural and social causes. We have invited a number of star Konkani artistes to the Gulf and appreciated and enjoyed their music and cultural performances,” said Noel Mascarenhas.

“We desire and request the Christian community that we need to focus on the Indian administrative services like IAS, IPS and through such services we need to become the mouthpieces of minorities at the national and state administration. Our voices need to be heard in the government offices,” he opined.

Fr Peter Cyprian D’Souza, the founder spiritual adviser of SMKC, Fr John Vas, the procurator of the diocese of Mangalore and others were present on the occasion.

  

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Comment on this article

  • CGS, Mangalore

    Tue, Jul 16 2013

    Thanks to Fr.Cyprian D'Souza,Mr.Noel
    Mascarenhas and Mr.Joe Fernandes, the strong pollars of SMKC Dubai, for their continous support to the needy and deserving students of our Konkani Catholic Community.May God Bless them and their organisation.
    Long live SMKC!

    DisAgree [1] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Walter Cyril Pinto, Immidiate Past President, Catholic Sabha, Kallianpur Udupi

    Fri, Jul 12 2013

    Let us complment SMKC and its leaders
    The Youth Students of today are the pillars of our nation and community, they need to be nurtured and encouraged to persue higher education and employment in the country. They are the " Buildings and structures" which will strengthen our community and nation in the days to come.
    Let no merritorious child be deprived of quality higher education, for lack of financial resources.
    At the same time, let us also remind them of the facilities extended by teh Govt like Scholarships, 100% Interset subsidy on study Loans.
    We should insist on them to repay the assistance, without interest-so as to help anothe needy child.
    Catholic Sabha has initiated a programme to encourage youth to persue essential Vocations
    1. Journalism
    2. Chartered Accountants
    3. Law
    4. Teachers in Govt Schools and Colleges
    5. Social work-Rural Development
    & Psychiatric Social work
    6. UPSC/KPSC coaching
    These vocations are essential for any community, in particular our community, because there is absolute absence of our presence. Moreover it is very difficult to get financial assistance for these vocations from financial Institutions, for various reasons.

    DisAgree Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Austin Martis, Darebail/Bahrain

    Thu, Jul 11 2013

    Dear Uncle Noel,
    Congratulations to you and your entire team for this fund which will be benefited to the poor people. When i approached Uncle Noel to help some poor students,he helped immediately. Wish you all the best.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Max and Jessie Rasquinha, USA

    Thu, Jul 11 2013

    What a delightful and heart-warming message on the noble tasks undertaken by SMKC in various fund raising activities towards so many needy causes, particularly the educational enhancement of the needy and deserving.

    These beneficiaries will always remain grateful to the Diocese of Mangalore and also SMKC for all their initiatives in making so many noble gestures happen. It needs group efforts and group leadership.

    It is delightful to witness the blessings offered by Bishop Aloysius to the SMKC officials that have taken so much of troubles to make the deserving projects possible. May these blessings reach out all those generous people in Dubai who are so thoughtful in joining thousands of hands thru their hard work and dedication abroad.

    Mangalore will always remain grateful for all those that have their kind heart and mind placed on their home town from abroad. Life abroad is equally tough but people have a kind thought for their native country and therefore let these blessings from the Bishop touch all those abroad for their safety, happiness and peace while they struggle so hard for their daily wellbeing.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • prajash leema, Bhatkal / Dubai

    Thu, Jul 11 2013

    Congrats to Mr.Noel and Team..God bless you all and keep growing..

    DisAgree [2] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Deepak, Paladka

    Wed, Jul 10 2013

    Great initiative by SMKC. May god bless u all !!!

    DisAgree [15] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse

  • Peter, Brahmavar

    Wed, Jul 10 2013

    Wel done SMKC. Since Udupi Diocese formed out of Mangalore Diocese half of this should go to Udupi Diocese.

    DisAgree [14] Agree [28] Reply Report Abuse

  • Edmond Noronha, Kirem-Sharjah

    Wed, Jul 10 2013

    Noel & Joe nice to see you.
    Your dedication and leadership has helped many in U.A.E. and abroad.
    All the best

    DisAgree [21] Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse


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