Memories of the Goan past in Tanzania
By Edwin De Souza
(Compiled from various club magazines and brochures)
The magnificent Tony Almeida design Dar
Institute
“I walked
into the Zanzibar Institute four years ago and it seemed in good condition for
its age. The caretaker opened all closed doors and gave me a tour of the place.
He showed me where the bar was (now removed) and the stage had acoustic musical
instruments on it, including a double bass.
“Brendan, I don't think those instruments were from pre-1964. I tipped
the caretaker with the equivalent of two US dollars and he seemed happy with
that as it is about a day’s wage in Zanzibar.” (Anonymous)
The Mwanza Institute had members like Tommy Carvalho, Junior, etc and as
with all Goan clubs, there were fractions within the members. The stories I
heard were from one side, so I am not going to repeat them here as they are
funny only when you know the temperance, or lack thereof, of the characters
involved.
I have no idea if the club house belonged to the members of if it was a
rented premises. There still are Goans in Mwanza who would know the answer to
that question. There might be people here too who have the history of the
Mwanza Institute. The guy who sent me the M.I. picture also sent me pictures of
a car museum in Mwanza owned by the Fortis family. That museum has a 1940/50s
era Rolls Royce.
In 1980 I was in Moshi and Chargas Fernandes drove me past the former
Moshi Institute, that had been sold. I remember it as a bungalow type
structure. Chargas later became the secretary of the D.I.
Great memories. Chargas was also the Chairman of the DI. During the DI hockey
teams EA tour in 1973 that that took us to Tanga, Mombasa, Nairobi, Moshi and
Arusha, about 25 of us were put up at the Moshi Institute for the night.
I am not sure about Zanzibar and Mwanza, but Tanga, became Tanga
Gymkhana, Arusha I believe became Arusha Institute, Moshi I believe was
closed down.
On the subject of the Mwanza Club, I have some news from Santan
Demello, who was there in that town for quite a few years.
The Mwanza Institute had a
lot of great memories for me. Schooling there I was a boarder at Anthony
Gomes(Danny Gomes brother) home at a property owned by Mrs. Fortes, right by
the lake.
We had a lot of the
Dar-es-salaam folk like Junior Fernandes, Manu Pinto (Auditors at Coopers),
Bertie Carvalho, Maurice , Diego/Ann Simoes, Florence Vaz, Francis/Dixie de
Souza, Linda de Souza and her family now in Vasco, Satiro Fernandes, Roque
Fernandes, MaryAnn de Souza (Tanzanite deSouza, family), Peter de Souza and a
few more. Later Francis/Lina de Souza (Sandra Rocha's parents). The Fortes' are
still there.
"Mwanza Institute was owned by members of the Goan Community.
Non-Goans were not allowed to be members. As the Goan population was decreasing
non Goans were allowed to be members. Around 1974 -75- 76 Goan population
was almost minimal. Now although it is still called Mwanza Institute it may
have only one or two Goans as members.
Here’s the current face of the old GI. Goan Institute in Zanzibar.
Courtesy of Raymond Pinto. This facility is now converted to a
musical Museum.
There was another Club called the # 13 Club it was an exclusive Club
with very limited membership. There were some strange stories on who
could be members of this Club
I recall the late Mervyn NUNES telling me he was thrilled that his Dad
was a member of both clubs so he got two Toys at the Christmas Tree party held
at each club
The Mwanza Institute had a lot of great memories for me. Schooling there
I was a boarder at Anthony Gomes (Danny Gomes’s brother) home at a property
owned by Mrs Fortes.
Mwanza
Institute: Once upon a time
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