After eight successful editions, Panaji based Communicare Trust took its annual language quiz competition ‘Kaleidoscope’ from the shores of Goa to Macau earlier this year. Two lucky students from Goa were chosen to participate in the event and flown down to Macau for the grand event which was conducted at Escola Portuguesa de Macau (EPM) who were also the supporters of the 9th edition of the language quiz. The previous editions of Kaleidoscope were conducted at Goa University where students from various higher secondary schools have been participating in the language quiz. However, this year, a giant leap was taken, when two lucky students from Goa were chosen to participate in the event that was hosted by EPM in Macau. The event was recorded and supported by TDM (Television of Macau).
Brett Jerome Sequeira from Don Bosco Higher Secondary School and Naomi Angelo Dias do Rosario from Our Lady of the Rosary HSSE, Dona Paula, winners of a writing competition organised by Communicare travelled to Macau for the event. A unique writing competition organised by Communicare Trust, it offers students of 10th, 11th and 12th standard, the opportunity to get their winning articles written in Portuguese, published and distributed in all the higher secondary schools that teach the Lusofonian language. The winning articles are then incorporated as a part of the study material for ‘Kaleidoscope’, the annual language quiz competition organized at Communicare.
The students received a warm welcome from the school staff and the students of EPM. They were introduced to the rich culture and heritage of the city through its history, landscapes and cuisine. “The experience was mind-blowing. Everything was a culture shock, in a good way, especially the food, the education system and the lifestyle. It was a brilliant opportunity to practise Portuguese with students who use it as their first language”, said Brett Sequeira from Don Bosco Higher Secondary School. He joked, “I also overcame a big challenge by learning to pick up a peanut with a chopstick”.
“The whole journey was really unique. The students were so warm and friendly. They took Brett and me out for lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of food available, even the street food” said Naomi do Rosario, a student at Our Lady of the Rosary HSSE, sharing her experiences.
Nalini Elvino de Sousa, Manager, Communicare Trust said “Without the support of Escola Portuguese de Macau, this would have never happened. I was also very happy that TDM arranged for the whole recording of the programme, which will be aired soon on Macau Television. I did count on them for almost everything, but their organisation and support was beyond my expectations.” Instituto Camões in Goa and Fundação Oriente in Goa, who have been supporting Kaleidoscope for the last 8 years, continued their support in this year’s edition as well. “Delfim Correia da Silva constantly stayed in touch by sending us words of encouragement,” said Nalini.
The students also had an opportunity to meet the senior government official of Macau, Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau. “He received us all at his office and was very enthusiastic about this cultural exchange,” said Namitha Nair, Project Manager, Communicare Trust. Nalini added that the idea behind the quiz is to take the concept forward with the participation of all the Lusophonia countries namely Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Timor, Sao Tomé and Principe, Brasil and of course, Goa and Portugal. The language quiz which includes various questions on general knowledge, sports, grammar, music, amongst other topics, will be aired in all these countries.
With the support of several institutions in Macau and Goa, Communicare Trust is sure to be able to achieve such cultural diversity in the near future.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by ItsGoa staff and is published from a press release.)
