http://www.mississauga.com/mi/people/v-smart_template/story/1302748p-1549381c.html
JOSEPH CHIN Sep 3, 2003
Mississauga is an unlikely place to hold a Kenya high school reunion. But then, much about Dr. Ribeiro Goan High School is unlikely.
For starters, all the students were once Goans; this in a school that's located in Nairobi, one of Africa's largest cities.
Then there's the fact most graduates, circa 1963, by now have scattered across the globe, including many in Canada.
So, when you think about it, Mississauga is probadly as good a place as any to hold a reunion. At least, Agnes Rocha thinks so.
"I'm one of the organizers, so I might as well have it in my own backyard," said the 56-year-old grandmother, who's been living here for 33 years.
The "I Can't Believe It's 40 Reunion" takes place Sept. 12 and Rocha expects about 30 old classmates, some coming from as far away as Australia and the U.K., to attend.
"Dr. Ribeiro was a special place for us," said Rocha. "The time we spent there were some of the happiest days of our childhood."
Certainly, they will not lack for things to reminisce about, because the Class of '63 marked the end of an era. They were the last to know the school as it once -- uniquely -- was.
"All the students were Goans living in another country. Because of that we had a special bond," said Rocha.
Goa is a state on the west coast of India, and was a Portuguese colony until 1961. In the mid-1940s, Goans began immigrating to Kenya.
"They were brought over by the then British rulers to fill positions in government," said Rocha.
Her father worked in the finance department as an accountant. Rocha was born in Kenya.
The Goans were upper class, and having their own exclusive, elite school reflected that status.
"Yes, looking back it was a form of segregation, but we were too young to know it then," said Rocha. "It was the only way we knew."
That world changed forever when Kenya gained independence in 1963, the same year Rocha and her chums graduated. Dr. Ribeiro was immediately open to everybody. Most young Goans eventually immigrated to other, mostly western, countries. But they will never forgot Kenya and their school.
"It will always be a part of us," said Rocha.
Through a chance encounter with a former classmate, she got the idea to organize a reunion. Since then, there has been two, the first in 1994 and the second in 2000. Both were held in Mississauga.
"This year marks 40 years since we graduated. We couldn't let it go by without getting together," Rocha said.
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