Finally time came to me to say Adeus to Kuwait and thru these lines I say Adeus to Kuwait where I worked for over 3.5 decades.
When I first came to Kuwait my intention was to work only for three and half years, make enough money and then return to my birth place but fortunately or unfortunately and as destined, instead I had to work in Kuwait for over three and half decades. It was not as simple as that to make enough money to fulfill all your obligations in three and half years.
Whatever it may be, whether 3 and half years or 3.and half decades, I must thank God with deep gratitude for keeping me healthy to work and survive and secondly for keeping me alive till now to say Adeus to Kuwait. Many of my friends who came to Kuwait with me and after me as well are no more in this world while some others gone from Kuwait crippled. Those who are no more in this world may God give their souls eternal rest while those who are gone with physical deformities may God help them to be okay. Thank God I am still okay and alive inspite of attempts on my life by the Iraqi soldiers on the day of the invasion of Kuwait on 2nd August, 1990 early in the morning in Kuwait City.
When I came to Kuwait my intention was to enhance my financial status which no doubt I did but in the bargain and in the process I learnt also a lot by coming to Kuwait which otherwise I would not if I had been in Goa only.
In this country you can get lot of opportunities to learn and to gain because this is an international country where you come in contact with different types of people from all around the globe and from whom one can learn a lot. Fortunately for me due to my involvement in many activities I gained a lot by interacting with different nationalities and societies with different types of people.
I must accept the fact that I received total support in few friends of mine to spend such a long time in Kuwait successfully; one of them was the late Mr. Diogo A. D’Souza from Tivim who got me employed when others rejected me and where I worked till the end; the second person was my “gaum bhau” the late Messias Barreto who was a fatherly figure to me; the third person was John Felix D’Souza from Anjuna who protected and supported me even in worst of my crisis especially in my activities and movements and the 4thperson was Ignatius Fernandes from Calangute who took maximum care of me in my needs.
Besides many other friends and colleagues of mine co-operated with me to make my stay in Kuwait comfortable. From the bottom of my heart I thank them all for doing so much good to me. Without their support life for me in Kuwait would not have been as smooth as it was.
I have voluntarily retired from my job by submitting my resignation by giving a mandatory 3 Month’s Notice Period which already expired and on 24th of this month I will quit Kuwait for good.
I know I owe nothing to anybody in Kuwait nor do I have any obligation towards anyone to fulfill. However, if any one has to contradict this statement he or she can contact me at any moment before I leave Kuwait for good.
During my last so many years of stay in Kuwait I was directly and deeply involved myself in many activities and movements either to initiate or to support as none among the Goans involved. In all these activities and movements if I have attained success then I must rightly and loudly say thank you to my colleagues and friends who stood by me in attaining that success. Without their support and cooperation that success would not have been possible. I am grateful to them.
During my long inning in Kuwait I did many movements on many issues and raised my voice and fought against injustice and while doing so some perpetrators of injustice must have got hurt but I am not responsible if anyone is hurt in the bargain. I was interested in delivering justice especially for the downtrodden against the arrogant.
Almost all the major Goan movements from Kuwait started after my coming to Kuwait either with my initiative or with my support or thru my campaign, namely Goa Cancer Hospital, Konkani, Novem Goem Daily, Kuwait-Goa Direct Flight, Competitive Goan/Indian Soccer Activities, Gulf Goans Hotels Co., Kuwait Konknni Kendr, Konkani Heritage, Goan Welfare Society, Mando Festivals, Goa-Kuwait Solidarity Center and Freedom for Kuwait’s Prisoners of War. In all these movements all the Kuwait Goans did not participate since many remained just dormant, these Goans were just existing in Kuwait. Their utility for the cause of Goa and Goans was Zero, they worked and lived in Kuwait for their own benefits only.
When I came to Kuwait first time, I came with a big smile on my face and by the grace of God while leaving Kuwait I am leaving also with a big smile. I am grateful to God to help me to leave Kuwait smilingly when many of my friends and colleagues left Kuwait with tears in their eyes. May the same God help them to dry their tearful eyes.
While concluding, once again a “Big Thank You” to all my friends and colleagues who helped me in my personal life as well as public life during my long period in Kuwait and NOT FORGETTING KUWAIT AND MY EMPLOYERS for affording me a lengthy opportunity to stay and work in Kuwait.
MAY GOD BLESS KUWAIT – MAY GOD BLESS MY EMPLOYERS AND MAY GOD BLESS ALL.
A.Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.