BENAULIM ENVIRONMENT TRUST
Village Awakening

THE Benaulim Environment Trust was established on 17^th November 2000 and registered as a Public Trust with the Civil Registrar of Salcete at Margao (Goa) on 22^nd November 2000. The Founder Trustees, who constitute the first Executive Committee, are (1) Antonio Correia-Afonso, retired business executive (Chairman), (2) Avinash Raikar, college lecturer (Vice-Chairman), (3) Agnelo Fernandes, businessman (Vice-Chairman), (4) Antonio Pinto, retired military officer (Secretary) and (5) Nicolau Pereira, retired bank officer (Treasurer).

The object of the Trust is to comanise and activate the people of Benaulim Village to protect the environment, preserve the natural resources, raise standards of public health and improve their quality of life. With these objectives in view, the Trust has established an office, laboratory, communication centre with computers and internet connection and library located at Correia-Afonso Hospital, Rebor, Benaulim. These facilities have been installed with the assistance of SIDA Self-Management, a Swedish N.G.O.

The Trust has participated in an International Environment Conference held in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2001 by conducting a Panel Discussion on environmental problems. It has comanised teachers' training programmes on the environment and participated in clean-up drives and the plastic-free Goa campaign. Swedish students from the Stockholm Environment Centre have been assisted by the Trust in undertaking environment research projects such as the "Save Our Sal" project concerning pollution of the River Sal, which flows through Benaulim Village.

The Trust will be celebrating the first year of its existence on 17^th November 2001 with the formal inauguration of its offices located at Correia-Afonso Hospital, Rebor, Benaulim by Mr Averthanus D'Souza, President of the Goa Environment Federation, on 18^th November 2001 at 5 p.m.