John Gomes built generations of young women and men who learned from him not just science or English, but how to live with integrity, faith, and purpose
John Gomes stands by a plaque at a dormitory at Gaichanjiru High School that was named after him.
GLOBAL GOENKAR IN FOCUS - 2
PANAJI
John Gomes, a pioneering educator, lay missionary, and community leader, began his teaching career in Kenya at Mugoiri Girls High School, a school run by Catholic nuns. Though met with initial suspicion due to his youth and single status, he quickly earned their trust.
Later, at Karima Boys, Gaichanjiru Boys, and Nyeri High School, John became known for his dedication to science education and his unwavering insistence on discipline, sportsmanship, and respect.
John met his wife, Annie, while she was working as the stenographer of Vasantrao Dempo at Panaji in 1965. After their marriage, Annie joined him in Kenya.
In 1972, he was asked to manage the Moi Equator Girls High School on behalf of the Consulata Catholic Missions (CCM), which was adjacent to the Church in Nanyuki, about 200 kms from Nairobi, as the headmaster.
With a firm hand, a clear vision, and deep faith, he and his wife Annie transformed it into a thriving institution. Together, they shaped it not just with curriculum, but with love and care.
Annie, his wife and partner in service, also doubled up as nurse and administrator. She supported the girls not only as a matron but as a second mother, tending to their health, helping them through adolescence, and ensuring they never felt alone. She was the heart of the school, while John served as its compass.
“I built 12 classrooms, four laboratories, seven staff rooms, a library, three big dormitories and a dining hall for the school at Nanyuki, with savings, school fees and financial support from the then vice-president of Kenya who would pass by our area,” said John, while speaking to The Goan.
“I also started a farm in the school for the schoolchildren, with about 1,000 chickens, 84 pigs, 10 cattle 100 goats 100 sheep. I also taught them how to hatch eggs with a special machine,” recalled John.
Together, they ran Moi Equator Girls High School, looking after 500 boarders at a time, for over two decades. During this time, they never sought luxury or accolades. They lived in a modest house near the school, dedicated to ensuring every girl under their care left not just educated, but transformed.
For students whose families could not pay fees, John often quietly covered the shortfall. For girls from troubled backgrounds, Annie offered love and refuge. Many alumni credit the couple with saving their futures.
Their discipline was legendary, but beyond rules, John and Annie offered life lessons. Integrity, punctuality, and humility were not just taught but lived by example.
RETIRED LIFE IN GOA, KENYA
John retired in 1992 after 30 years in public service and returned to Goa. He then served as manager of the prestigious BPS Club in Margao from 1992 to 2009.
“I was instrumental in starting exhibitions at the Club and turning it into a wedding venue, while also providing dancing classes and coaching for tennis, table tennis and badminton,” said john.
John later relocated to Kenya in 2009 and continued with his philanthropic activities. His wife took ill a short while later and passed away the same year.
SOCIAL OUTREACH
Even in retirement, John’s service never ceased. He established the John Gomes Foundation in memory of Annie, to help needy girls from the schools they had served. John still mentors teachers and students at St Stevens School in Githogoro slums, where his presence is as impactful as ever.
Former students regularly return to thank him. On his 89th birthday, Moi Equator alumni gifted him Kenyan Shillings 25,000 (Rs 16,565). He used it to buy 200 geometry sets and school supplies for underprivileged children. For John, giving back is not a choice, it is a calling.
He also continues to support local causes, including the Mother Teresa Homes and St Stephen’s School in Githogoro, reflecting a lifelong dedication to uplifting the vulnerable.
His legacy lives on through his three daughters, all of whom were raised with the same values. Each is involved in charitable work. His granddaughters too continue the legacy with their work in various disciplines. For the Gomes family, is not just a profession, it is a way of life.
John Gomes never ran a private academy or amassed personal wealth. But what he built was far greater: generations of young women and men who learned from him not just science or English, but how to live with integrity, faith, and purpose.
And in the quiet, firm, enduring legacy of John Gomes, Kenya has been immeasurably blessed.
THE RECOGNITION
The illustrious career and services of John in the field of education reached the office of the President of Kenya and he was presented with the Order of the Grand Warrior (O.G.W) in 2020, the only Goan to receive the prestigious honour, in recognition of outstanding service to the country in different responsibilities and capacities. A hall and a dormitory at Gaichanjiru High School have also been named after him.
[Concluded]
