Mathew
6:3 says, “But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does.” However, you
can’t help but be grateful to the good Samaritans who go out of their way to
help those in need. Large societies and apartments in Goa house many senior
citizens who live by themselves. Different societies are doing their best to
cope with the situation keeping them safe. Adv Asha A Desai, is a resident of
Landscape Shire,
Caranzalem
but also a member of a WhatsApp group Super Ninjas which consists of nearly
30-40 advocates from across Goa and other 200 like minded members. ”We helped
in supplying groceries to many needy people. I started in my building supplies
of milk and pav in the morning and slowly we started with groceries. Now we
have sliced bread cakes buns etc. We started with google forms to collate data.
We did forms
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for
milk, bread and other items from Mac brown. We made google forms for groceries
so there is systematic and easy way of placing orders,” says Adv Asha. Adv Asha
A Desai with Adv Vivek Rodrigues, Adv Sagar Dhargalkar started the group Super
Ninjas. “We wanted to help by being volunteers but since government was not
taking up volunteers we decided to do awareness online. Adv Vivek, Adv Sagar
and Adv Vijay Palyekar are my other colleagues who delivered groceries and
essentials to people. Adv Vijay approaches the labour commissioner to help
migrants
and
labourers for release of funds and is also involved in supplying snacks and tea
to the police,” says Asha. She further adds, ”I started making messages of
awareness and posting in various groups with the link for joining the group. However
with lock out, essentials were stifled and so some of us moved out of our homes
to ensure that others stay home and recieve the supplies. We collated data of
migrants and labourers
through
google forms and sent to the groups helping migrants and labourers as they didn’t
want overlapping of work and for
proper
distribution we coordinated. Since most of us are settled
with
the lock down we have started meditation class Bodhi
Jagruti
meditation class and shortly launching origami classes
for
kids so that they can be kept engaged in creative activity.
These
programs are run online with the help of zoom App.”
Saiprasad
Amonkar, a retired MPT employee is the chairman
of
the Navelkar Estate Co-Op Housing Society, Baiguinim
which
houses nearly 187 flats. The committee immediately after
lockdown
sent out a list of dos and donts within the society
and
the gates were locked so no one can leave or enter the
premises.
“Nearly 60 percent of the residents are Goans and
the
committee decided to let only close blood relatives to visit
the
premises. My son Ambar, a mechanical engineer helped
me
create a group and supply the essential groceries to the
residents
– along with his friends. All the residents have to do is
message
their needs on the WhatsApp group and we keep the
supply
in 2-3 garages which are turned into storage. We also
have
Dr Rajesh Shirvekar who has been doing checkups and
giving
medicines to those who are sick,” says Saiprasad, who
has
been living in the society for over 20 years.
Models
Mystique in Caranzalem has been keeping its
residents
of nearly 120 apartments safe by providing essential
supplies
on a regular basis without leaving the gates. Chairman
Saby
Almeida of their society committee informs how they
are
keeping the supply going. “Our resident, Laxmi is well
connected and has been helping senior citizens
from the first day of the lockdown. The society has many senior citizens and
many people
from
out of Goa. They all have been indoors with essential supplies coming directly
to the complex. We converted one of the watchmen’s
room
into a storage space for the supply. The walking and waiting area has been
marked in the shade and a timing has been allotted
for
milk, bread, fish, groceries and vegetables. Before the fish vendor arrives at
the gate, we know what kind of fish we will be getting. As of now, if the
lockdown is continued even for two months, we will have enough supply of stock
sorted,” says Saby, who is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Smooth.
