A group of Goans along with Goa’s leading duo ‘Tammy and Roy’ at the Dinner Dance event in Kampala-Uganda.
KAMPALA
A new Goan association has been formed in Kampala with plans to preserve and promote Goan heritage in Uganda, a place which was once thriving with Goans.
The Goan Association, Kampala, in conjunction with the Kampala Institute hosted a Dinner Dance featuring Goa’s leading duo ‘Tammy and Roy’ last month, as part of the World Goa Day celebrations, and a part of the proceeds were donated to the Missionaries of the poor.
In his speech, the chief guest Uganda's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Oryem Okello said he became familiar with the Goan community while in Tanzania in the 1970s.
I had Goan neighbours who were devout Catholics and I got to know more about the Goan community,” he said.
The minister thanked the Indian community for their contribution not only to Uganda, but to Africa as well.
“The Indians came here to build a railway line from Mombassa to Uganda. We used to call them the Karahi Indians (saucepan with which they would carry sand to build the Railways). But at a later stage, they built what is Uganda today,” said Okello.
“If you go to the length and breath of this country, every town has hundreds of homes and houses which were built by Indians. I want to thank the Indian community for their perseverance, resilience and hardship that they have gone through to make Uganda what it is today. Your contribution has been enormous,” he added.
Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Uganda Velupillai Kananathan, who was also present at the event, highlighted the similarities between Sri Lanka and Goa.
GOAN ASSOCIATION, KAMPALA
Kevin Lobo, who has been in Kampala since the last 30 years, said the Goan Association, Kampala, was recently formed by a group of friends.
“About six years ago, we had a group of Goans who organised a dinner dance but this was not a registered Goan association but only individuals keen to promote Goan culture. In 2020, we had a very small dinner dance where a Goan band was flown in on two occasions for the May ball on two consecutive years.”
“Since we have a very small Goan community in Kampala, the idea to bring in a Goan band came to my mind. In 2022, when I was in Goa I met up with Tammy and Roy to see if they would be interested in doing a show, which they gladly accepted,” said Kevin.
“Then when I got back to Kampala, I floated the idea with my friends and we decided to set up the Goan Association and host this event at the Kampala Institute.
Please with the success at the event, Kevin said the Goan Association now plans to bring other Goan bands in the near future.
“We also plan to do shows in Kenya and Tanzania,” he added.
Regarding the new association, Kevin admitted that the aims and objectives are yet to be finalised.
“Preserving Goan heritage is something that we do at private house parties.”
Kevin said the Goans are among the most respected communities in Kampala.
“Back in the old days, they were all holding administrative positions and some were renowned tailors. Today, most Goans work in offices with just a handful doing their own business,” Kevin added.
