14 Jan 2020  |   04:24am IST

#Rosto: Not on a screen on your mobile device but on the road

Dancer and zumba instructor Cecille Rodrigues has been moving around the state and identifying speed breakers that can be threatening to riders and drivers, bringing the count of speed breakers she has painted so far to 84. After she released her hit song, ‘Rosto’, the reaction from the audience motivated her to take the #Rosto campaign to the next level

 

Her car has become her new storeroom as she has brooms,

reflector jackets, paint cans and cardboards in it as she hits the road. But this is no painting competition and she doesn’t have ordinary canvases, just speed breakers.

Last Sunday, marked the 84th speed breaker painted by Cecille Rodrigues, and her two assistants, who have so far covered roads in Taleigao, Calangute, St Cruz, Chimbel, Benaulim, Varca, Vagator, Arpora, Sangolda, Moira, Porvorim, Goa Velha, Pilar, Tivim and Mapusa. Yet, for this noted dancer and zumba instructor, this is just the beginning of her #RostoCampaign. After her ‘Rosto’ song took off on the internet, she has been using the social media influence to create awareness and save lives.

She has been ably assisted by a 62 year old home nurse Seema Chimulkar and Prakash Malani a taxi driver in his mid forties from Gujarat

She did the ‘Rosto’ song because of the potholes and even the 365 days t-shirt campaign. “For the #Rosto 365 days t-shirt challenge, every time I stepped out of the house, irrespective of the occasion, I wore the black t-shirt with #Rosto written on it. Be it a family wedding or even Christmas, I was in that t-shirt,” says Cecille.

The idea of painting speed breakers struck Cecille after a bad experience on a speed breaker. “I got the idea of painting the speed breaker when I was driving in the night. I have a metal plate in my back because of an accident on a speed breaker during my college days, and recently, I hit my back again while driving in the dark and I didn’t notice the speed breaker. I thought of painting the speed breaker so that others don’t go through the same experience. My first speed breaker painting was in Calangute,” reveals Cecille.

She thought of gifting the constituency of Taleigao in her own way. “Before Liberation Day, I painted the speed breakers in Talegiao as a gift for Goa. There are many speed breakers that have no signage or reflectors or street lights. Some sign boards are covered with branches and creepers.”

She has been receiving mixed reactions for painting the speed breakers as well as her videos on social media. “Most of the taxi drivers who are continuously driving on these routes give us a thumps up, while some say that there is no use painting. These are mostly the locals who know where the speed breakers are placed. Others visiting the area face inconvenience and many lead to accidents, some life threatening. Many families, who have lost their loved ones, come to meet us and thank us when we are painting those speed breakers.

Some mixed reactions: Why not Rosto in Konkani?

When it comes to videos, besides appreciation, many people say that I am doing it for publicity and I am not speaking in Konkani. I do love my mother tongue but I have many friends who are non Goans on social media and they won’t understand what I am saying if I speak in Konkani. If people are so concerned about the road and the videos, they should take up the same initiative and make videos in Konkani,” she explains.

9 speed breakers painted in two hours in Tivim

She is out painting almost 3-4 times a week and is always eager to work with a big group of volunteers from the area.I was invited by my childhood friend to paint speed breakers in Tivim. We received the highest number of volunteers, two youth, who helped us paint nine speed breakers during traffic in four hours. The bigger the team, the faster we can paint,” says Cecille, who uses 2-4 cans of paint for each speed breaker. “Some areas are open to giving funding by sending money to paint the speed breakers. One Goan expat gave us Rs 2000 in Taleigao, while a taxi driver in Tivim gave us Rs 200,” she adds.

For her #Rostocampaign, she is open to painting speed breakers, however, it will not be just one speed breaker. “There are so many speed breakers that are not painted.

The Rosto song made a big difference and everyone recognises me. Many people come up to me and say they loved the song and it was like a slap on the government. We are all responsible for putting up videos on our grievances. I am open to painting speed breakers, however it has to be at least 3-4 speed breakers in one area,” says Cecille, whose next mission is to create awareness about carpooling, especially for women in Goa, a subject which Cafe has already highlighted.