15.11.2021  7pm IST 

STREET PROVIDENCE TRUST GOA,  pays our humble tribute to late Sr Augusta Dsouza, from Holy Cross , Khorlim, Mapusa, Goa, who died on 14.11.21 and was buried today. 

♡♡♡ A nun , a teacher by profession & a social worker is who Sr was, but I describe her as a wonderful human being ! 

☆ In 1990 , Sr Agusta was awarded a National award for being the best teacher in India by the Late President of India Sir R.Venkataraman in New Delhi. 

☆ In early 2019, I happened to receive an encouraging whatsapp message from Sr Agusta, regarding our work towards the homeless & hungry . 

That was the seed she sowed in our NGO at the age of 81 years in 2019. 

Over the next few months , she would arrange groceries , clothes etc for our rehabilitation homes. 

Casually one day while I was sitting with 

Sr Agusta , we were discussing about poor homeless women and I saw something in her eyes. 

Although she was 81 years old ,  home bound due to her age with partial hearing problems ,  yet she shared my passion of rehabilitation of homeless street women. 

I casually asked her ” Sr, why doesn't your congregation work with our NGO & togther we can live our passion “. 

That's all . 

She took the suggestion and put me on to quite a number of Nuns and even introduced me to the Provincial who had just taken over . 

Sr Agusta introduced us to Remanso Hospital which is run by their congregation and is a big help to our homeless people during any medical emergencies. 

Sr Agusta after her retirement from teaching and being a headmistress in numerous of their schools worked ceaselessly for the welfare of poor women and try to help them . 

That's how Sr Agusta could connect with me. 

On the intervention of  Sr Agusta we actually started a home for alcoholic street women in mid 2020 with the support of the Provincial. 

But due to the 1st wave of Covid and heavy rainfall during the entire June,  July,  August 2020 , we closed down the home as admitting alcoholic ladies from the Government hospitals during Covid posed a problem. 

It was to scary at that time in June 2020 and with mutual consent, I understood that the risk is too high, should something go wrong with the nuns in this home. 

She was a bit disappointed but she said ” don't lose heart , I have sowed the seeds , Rest we leave to God “. 

But we always kept in touch and Sr Agusta would arrange benefactors for our work and send me encouraging messages. 

I was aware that her health was failing and yesterday she breathed her last . 

But she tried to always help anyone and all who ever require help . 

I am sure Sr Agusta's wish was to have a home in Goa , supported by her congregation , to help the 

homeless street alcoholic women . 

And I would love to live that dream by starting such a home for alcoholic women supported by her congregation. 

It will be a perfect gift , tribute, memory to the seed which she sowed and said ” Rest we leave to God “. 

I end by saying ” Farewell Sr Agusta , I learnt many things from you in our short association”. 

Surely your soul is resting in Peace!

“You have finished the race” now its mine and our turn to run that same race for which  you sowed the seeds.

God bless you all.