Linked In says Eddie Fernandes has completed 20 years with his brainchild GVUK.
He has done a sterling job with the site. It has long since acquired the status of a go-to location for expats for Goa-related news. Starting out with interest restricted to Goans of African origin, its appeal has widened to Goans of all backgrounds living in almost all corners of the world. Eddie is adept at sourcing news related to Goa and Goans and has a program that helps him with it, but it in no way detracts from his putting in the hard work to decide what should make it to his daily bulletin. The death notices in the Goan Voice UK has become what the Times of India obituary columns once meant to middle class Bombay Goans - the way to know and honour the passing of someone you knew. He avoids a lot of headache from grumbling Goans who might have questioned his bias, by reproducing news items that primarily appear elsewhere. I appreciate despite that policy, he made an exception to my Sunday opinion columns on his site for quite a few years. It is no mean feat for Eddie to ensure that day in and day out whether he is in foreign lands or on the international high seas, the daily bulletin will never fail to be published. It is a tribute to his personal discipline and librarian background that he has sustained an idea that most of us would have wanted to give up on more than once. I admire many people I have known or met and Eddie Fernandes definitely occupies a special place in my personal pantheon, despite never having met him. Bessaõ tujer poddon re Eddie and a toast to a long and happy life. Roland. Toronto.
