From Dhar Mann to Jay Shetty there’s no shortage of inspirational videos on social media. As millions watch these videos they get inspired with positivity to counter the negativity that surrounds them. Hope isn’t restricted to merely social media. From festivals to a subtle hint in movies we encounter diverse sources of hope in life. Hope is often associated with internal dilemmas but more often than not hope can extend beyond internal conflicts.
Apart from being a third year student of ‘Bachelor of Science’ in Chemistry at ‘Dnyanprassarak Mandal's College and Research Centre’ in Mapusa, Ornella Menezes also has a part time business in which not only does she design beautiful crochets, but she teaches the same to others. Though she initially began designing crochets when she was 12 years old, she only started selling it from 2018 after drawing inspiration from a pop-up bazaar in which she and her friends sold handmade items.
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| Ornella crafting her masterpieces |
In 2019 she took her creativity
up a notch by collaborating with Wendell Rodricks in which she designed various
accessories for a show called ‘The Zentangle Collection’ in October 2019 which
was held in Delhi. She proceeded to work with a designer from Saligao and is
presently working with an international fashion designer from New Delhi called
JJ Valaya.
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| A model of 'The Zentangle Collection" wearing a necklace designed by Ornella |
Her designs are not restricted to tablecloths, but it includes earrings, necklaces, doilies, table runners and table covers as well. She customizes her orders too based on the orders she gets. She gets a few of her orders from WhatsApp groups and also from her Facebook page called ‘Ornella Creations’. As is the case with numerous businesses, she faces obstacles like encountering customers who don’t appreciate her artwork and end up saying it’s too expensive. She persists despite such negativity as she is aware that she doesn’t require the help of people who only end up demotivating her.
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| Masterpieces designed by Ornella displayed by Wendell Rodricks in Panjim |
She also finds the task of balancing her academic life with her part time business a difficult one as she gets plenty of orders and not enough time to complete them. As a result of these time constraints, she works on the designs in her free time in class. Just as Ornella took the time out from her hectic schedule, we can also take her example to be a light in the lives of others. Doing this will go a long way in helping individuals as the whole of Goa.
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| Ornella |
The political scenario in Goa is an excellent example of the darkness as well as the light. Due to the former members of the ‘Congress Party’ in the ranks of the ‘BJP’, there are many who have given up hope on the Congress. The notion of the light as well as the darkness exists in the entire political scenario in not only Goa, but in other states and countries as well.
Its common knowledge that there is a shortage of workplaces in Goa, though the governments that have ruled Goa should have been alert to it, unfortunately their priorities were elsewhere. ‘Save Mollem’ and ‘Aarey movement’ are evidences that some parties think that our green cover is expendable. Is development turning us into monsters?
An inconvenient truth is we have the remote control to almost everything by looking after ourselves. When better jobs, educational facilities and healthcare facilities come to Goa the entry of outsiders is inevitable but by being narrow-minded and listen to the venom of ‘Revolutionary Goans’ are we really protecting Goa?
It is only due to the historic ‘Opinion Poll’ that we have a place to call home along with shameless politicians to destroy it. We can protect Goa at the grassroots level by promoting Konkani including both the scripts Romi and Devnagiri. One of the reasons parades are held on Red Fort probably is to remind India of its history. Similarly while we speak Konkani each of us are in charge of preserving Konkani.
That doesn’t mean English has to be treated as the enemy. We all have to work in unison to protect Goa. This blog probably wouldn’t have seen the light of day if I wasn’t a former student of St. Aloysius in Mangalore. Along with the memories I made there, I also got the inspiration of my blog through the project which I had to do.
If all of us become proactive, creative and have the attitude of seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel, Goa will never be doomed, let us stop giving our remote control to people who don’t know the meaning of altruism. It’s time for ‘being Goan, being smart’
