Bandra girl camps near North Pole, waits for giant glacial meltdown
FAYE Lewis of Bandra is in northern Greenland, waiting
for the most fantastic — and possibly most alarming —phenomenon of her life: the disintegration of an ice glacier
roughly the size of Thane district.
The Petermann Glacier, measuring 100 sq km, the longest floating glacier in the northern hemisphere. It has
a 5-metre freeboard and is 80 km long. But it is not expectedto last.
“The glacier is due to break up - we’re not what day this will happen, but the cracks between the various pieces of ice have started to widen since we arrived. We’re here to witness its breakup,” she told Newsline by email.
Faye, 29, is aboard Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, on an expedition since June 10 to study the impacts of climate change on the Arctic ecosystem. Research indicates
the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the planet, causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The team will
study the impacts of this meltdown on the sea level, ocean
circulation and weather worldwide.
“Petermann Glacier is stunning. I feel like I’m on the
moon, or a desert, it’s all so white,” says Faye, who is also
impressed by the 24-hour daylight and reports the sighting
of four polar bears.
Faye, who has a Bachelor’s degree in history and sociology
from St. Xavier’s College, has been working as a
Greenpeace deckhand since 2003. Onboard she maintains
a record of the ship’s hull, decks and superstructure,
besides handling the responsibilities of mooring, cargo
handling, watch-keeping, and driving the Greenpeace
rigid inflatable boats. “I am also assisting scientists in deploying
all kinds of scientific equipment,” says Faye, who
used to sail boats at Colaba Sailing Club.

• New Heights for Don Bosco Maritime Academy
  Inagurates Advanced Welding & Fabrication Institute & Fabrication Training Yard.
  
  
  
  On 30th Nov2007 Don Bosco Maritime Academy achieved another milestone with the inauguration of Don Bosco Maritime Advanced Welding & Fabrication institute by Mr. Peter Whitebread (Chairman & CEO– Lamprell) and inauguration Training Yard by Mr. George Jacob (Vice President – Lamprell).
  The inauguration ceremony was attended by many eminent personalities from the shipping industry including Fr. Mario Vaz, sbd (Rector of Don Bosco Campus Kurla), Mr G.A. Soman (Principal Don Bosco Maritime Academy ), Fr. Anaclete D’Mello (Provincial Economer, Bombay Salesian Society), Fr. Edwin D’Souza (Rector, Don Bosco Shrine Matunga), Mr.Doug Benson (Vice President Lamprell Jebel Ali), Mr. Steve Smith (Marketing Manager Lamprell).
  
  
  
  Speaking to the Marine World Mr. G.A Soman (Principal DBMA) said
  “We had an old welding shop of about 600 sq.ft. area. It started falling short once we started growing. Over the years the Welding & Fabrication Training activity grew so much that we decided to open a New ‘Advanced Welding & Fabrication Training Institute’. Now we have more than 3500 sq.ft of covered area having presently 51 Welding Boths and the necessary equipment for Shielded Metal Electric Arc  and Gas Welding/ Cutting operation, GIAW, GMAW & FCAW welding facilities. We will shortly be installing the ‘Submerged  Arc Welding Facility’ in this institute.  Our undergone courses on methodology of training of Marine Crew. We have a small Fabrication Workshop. This has now been further supported with a 10,000 sq. ft. Fabrication Yard.
  
  
  
  Mr. Soman also informed that the new Fabrication Training Yard of 10.000 sq. ft. has been set up with a very strong concrete reinforced base. There will be two gantry cranes which will be built up in house as per the Lamprell Design the latest fabrication equipment will be brought to give a real life experience to the trainees.Already two containers full of members of large dimensions(made of Carbon steel) have arrived in the yard on 4th December 2007.These will be used for real fabrication training as in a shipyard.
  
  
  
  
  
• Corporate Social Responsibility Programme – “Work2livE”
  
  
  
  

  Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary since independence was gained; India can now boast the fastest growing economy in the world and yet the gap between the wealthy and those living below the poverty line is increasing. A recent report suggested that over 300 million people are currently living on less than one US Dollar per day.
  
  
  
  Lamprell’s workforce consists largely of Indians. These have been the participants in the growth of the company. Thus out of a noble urge of giving back to the society a part of what has been received from it, the Management of Lamprell have put forward an idea. This programme will be started at five different centres of Don Bosco in Western India. Out of theses Maharashtra will have 3 centres while Gujarat will have 1 &b M.P. will have 1 centre. In these centres, the underprivileged, marginalized and educationally deficient young men will be inducted in a structured programme, which will be carried out over period of 2 years and 4 months. These boys will be led through states of training which will give them a new hope and empower them to win their own goals. This programme is designed for the young generation of India’s large population which does not have resources to talk about. Candidates who lack opportunity but have the ability to adopt and adopt to a disciplined lifestyle in a learning environment will be offered a training opportunity linked to gainful employment.
  
  
  
  The trainees, who complete all the phase will be absorbed by Lamprell PLC. Even if the trainees drop out at any juncture they will have learnt good deal of life sustaining technical skills.
  This will be a resident programme entirely free, for these trainees. The cost will be shared in a definite manner between Lamprell PLC. And various Don Bosco Institutes. The Technical Support and Management System and DBMA will be participating in this programme as one of the training partners. The program has been named “Work2livE”.

  Don Bosco Maritime Academy is privileged to be associated with this programme to pay back to Indian Society and improve our poor brethren.

  
  
  
  
• Second batch of fabricators trained for Lamprell PLC

“We are very grateful to Don Bosco Maritime Academy for the excellent training in fabrication and to M/s Lamprell PLC, Dubai for the opportunity to be employed by such a global company. Our stay in Don Bosco’s, Kurla has been a very rewarding one and we felt that this was our home.”

These were the sentiments expressed by Suresh Dovari a Trainee of the second batch for Lamprell PLC, Dubai on the occasion of the valedictory function held on 19th April, 2007.

Mr. G A Soman, Principal, DBMA and Rev. Rector Fr Mario Vaz both exhorted the trainees as well as the trainers to keep up the good work and to explore new avenues for training. The certificates were then handed over to the individual Trainees by Fr Mario.

By the time you read this all 17 trainees will be in Sharjah or Dubai working in permanent jobs. For a young man with limited education this opportunity to work is a blessing and will go a long way to improve his economic status and that of his family.

Lamprell PLC has played an important role in the development of the onshore & offshore, oil & gas industry in the Arabian Gulf for over 30 years. With its corporate headquarters at Sharjah, U.A.E., Lamprell operates a full service shipyard within Sharjah port. It presently has about 4000 workers in Sharjah & Dubai.

The training program of 10 weeks duration at DBMA started on February 5, 2007 and completed on 19th April 2007. The cost of the entire training was borne by the Lamprell PLC. On completion of the course, the successful candidates were offered long term full time employment within Lamprell’s U.A.E. operation. There are no charges for recruitment.

Candidates with ITI or NCVT qualification in any trade with some Industrial experience were preferred. A small test cum interview was conducted for selection of the trainees. Applied Mathematics, Engineering Drawing, and the Industrial Experience of the candidate was gauged during interview. Candidates were not over 28 years of age, and possessed a valid passport. In this Fabrication training, allied skills such as Welding, Gas Cutting, Technical Drawing, Health & safety, Mathematics were also taught, besides English language and other soft skills. The course was monitored and supervised by Mr. James Henderson, who is the Training Advisor for India from Lamprell Energy Inc.

The Don Bosco Maritime Academy and Lamprell PLC initiative has taken off successfully and we are happy that several young men from rural backgrounds of Maharashtra and the neighbouring states are the beneficiaries.

• Don Bosco Maritime Academy and Lamprell PLC, Dubai completes the 1st Joint Training Initiative.

For the 23 trainees who completed 10 weeks of Joint Training Initiative of Don Bosco Maritime Academy and Lamprell PLC, Dubai, it was a day to rejoice at the valedictory function held on 17 March, 2007.  Mr. Justin Taylor, Operations Manager, Lamprell, Dubai and the Rector Rev. Fr. Mario Vaz congratulated the trainees on their successful training program and their selection for employment with Lamprell, Dubai. 

At a well organized valedictory function  held at the academy’s auditorium, the passing out Fabricator trainees were awarded certificates by Mr. Taylor.  While the Operations Manager of Lamprell expressed his satisfaction with the training program, he also commended Don Bosco Maritime Academy & Principal Mr.G.A.Soman for the manner in which this was carried out as required by Lamprell.  The trainees were also put through English language programs and soft skills programs which boosted their confidence and helped develop a bonding among themselves. 

The short cultural program staged by the trainees displayed that they had understood the key elements with regard to their trade.  A skit on Safety emphasized their understanding that safety is a very important aspect of their work.  Two of the students also expressed their appreciation for the manner in which the training was conducted and their gratitude.  Mr. James Henderson, Training Advisor of Lamprell for India also expressed his deep appreciation at the tremendous improvement of the skill and good attitude of the trainees in the short span of ten weeks.  He commended the Technical staff for the fine methods of training and the educative environment provided by Don Bosco’s.  Lamprell PLC, Dubai and Don Bosco Maritime Academy have a long term agreement with regard to Training in Fabrication and Welding.