There was great suffering this year but there were also a large number of people displaying their humanity. People stepped out and helped the poor laborers struggling to go home. This was also the year when a large number of Goan youth stepped out and protested against projects that would harm the ecosystem of the state.
2020 has been a pivot in my life in more ways than one. It gave me time to slow down .to introspect and now as I look back I see my shift in paradigm happened when I realised the fragility of life and the importance to go ahead with one’s dreams. So here it is Cafe ChaiCoffee.My venture in the woods which I was planning for many years. But it took the pandemic for me to start my cloud kitchen which finally translated into one its kind al fresco forest setting cafe. I have come a long way in these 8 months.
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-Sneha Bhandare Baker
A bunch of workers was put on a regular passenger train (as there were not enough workers form Uttarakhand left to organise a full Shramik train) by the administration with no food or water at some 1.30 am in the night, which is when we volunteers found out after days was stuck at the Fatorda shelter in horrible conditions. We managed to arrange food for them through the other volunteer networks at different stations through their 2 days journey, but one day I get a call that some unknown good samaritans had given food to all workers at Nasik station on these trains, and we had scheduled dinner packets for them at the next station in the evening. So in spite of having nothing, and suffered through so much, they still called us to inform us that maybe we can use those food packets already arranged for some other workers if required since they had already been given some. And this was something that happened often, even when we were distributing ration or food, there would be so many times, where if we were running short, some of them would be, Madam I ate yesterday, but he has not eaten for 2 days, so give it to him instead. This will be my abiding memory of this year.
-Nupura Hautamaki Online Marketer
In the middle of several crises that affected people all around, we saw persons with great integrity and altruistic values come forth and lend a hand. This happened across the social strata with neighbors caring for the vulnerable. Nurses taking on more load to care for the ailing. Psychiatrists and psychologists pitched in to assist online. The massive surge in digitalisation of medical practices, education, and judiciary too will be a time in history that will be forever memorable. 2020 will leave us with several lessons.
-Meenacshi Martins Actor
I have 2 memories. Even though I lost the ZP elections in Taleigao, I got 3083 votes without giving money or donations. That means the people of Taleigao watching and are wanting a change and it will happen. 2020 also has helped me to be so vocal for Goa without Fear that I was detained by the police 3 times and an FIR filed for being part of #No Coal on railway tracks in Arrosim. Even my presence on Goa Liberation Day at a public outing near the church got me detained and separated from my son.
-Cecille Rodrigues Social activist
No one will forget this year. People always dream of living a comfortable life but this year made everyone learn to live real life with simplicity, being more health-conscious. This year had made me focus more on my health. And in the end, I believe in the race of life we have forgotten what’s actually life is. So I guess a lot of people have changed their philosophy on life and decided to spend more time with family and friends
-Yoshur Pun Chef
It definitely was a tough year but it wasn’t so bad, let us not forget all the good that came out of it, like the development of entrepreneurial activities, bringing families closer together, nature thrived, medical innovation improved, mental health became a priority, we were even able to learn to work from home, what matters most is we learned to survive and understood there was enough for our needs and not our greed, the most important thing I’ve learned is that we plan but fate decides.
-Nigel Baretto Student
The most positive thing about 2020 that I can say is how families got together and spent more quality time with each other. The lockdown made us realise why family time is the most important and valuable time of every person’s day. We got to talk to our parents and guardians about things we wouldn’t normally do on a daily basis. We also got to know our family members on a deeper level and most importantly, we found ourselves.
-Christopher D Souza student
