BEWARE OF WALKERS! ANY orthopaedic aid such as a walking stick or even walkers have to be used with care! A walker for example is a piece of equipment to help you walk if you are physically handicapped or disabled for any length of time. The walker is considered the safest of them all amongst walking aids. It is a U-shaped stand with hand rests, it may be lightly lifted and placed to help you move forward without fear of falling. Sometimes patients make the mistake of putting their hands right at the top of the front bar and if a moment of weak drowsiness one’s balance tilts…in the early hours of the morning, you may just topple over on to the floor, walker and all. Injuries may range from minor if you are lucky and major if not so lucky. I was one patient who toppled over but luckily I sustained only a bump on my forehead and small superficial injuries at my right shoulder and elbow. There was no need to rush to hospital but in the case of the elderly there are always the continuing pains which may get worse of something is wonky with the body like a “spine crushing down” and affecting intertwined nerves with weak muscle tone…with this experience we caution all seniors at home to exercise extreme caution while handling walkers at night. Play it safe, wake someone up to be with you on the way to the washroom and for small jobs of peeing learn how to use a urinary pot or can. For male patients it is very easy to pee in a urinary can. We are told that the safest to use for balancing yourself is a walking stick or a walker but we think perhaps the old-fashioned crutches on either side under the arms are the best to equitably distribute body weight. (Contributed by Rajan Narayan) MEDICAL CARETAKERS IF you do not have children or extended family in Goa, you have no choice but to hire a caretaker. In our experience in recent times most caretakers or helpers are untrained in helping patients with a gamut of health issues. Most do not know have no revive a failing heart or give an injection or take a blood sugar reading. But most have strength which is useful. If you are just two senior citizens at home and take a fall and your better half can’t lift you up, you are in trouble in the middle of the night. Who will come to the rescue? There is a special technique involved in lifting patients who fallen on their back or on their front. Similarly, special skills are needed for walking. I have found that the largest caretaker agency in Goa is run by the remarkable woman Renuka Rao, a doctor in Ayurveda (at least her husband is). She has an agency which “imports” young men and women in need of a job from the country over to Goa, she gives them some basic training on how to manage patients in need of assistance in doing their day-to-day routine. She is very good and honourable. For caretakers for patients don’t come cheap. I have discovered that the minimum charges are Rs1,000 per 12-hour shift, plus a Rs100 or so more if you don’t provide lunch or dinner for your helper. Renuka is better than many of the other agents supplying helpers to patients in hospital or homes. She doesn’t send raw helpers say from the North-Eastern states who know not a word of English or Hindi, leave alone Konkani or Marathi. The job-seekers who come from Jharkhand or Karnataka or Bihar or Bangladesh at least know a smattering of English and Hindi and those from south India even may wax lyrical in Kannada or Tamil, and there are the Bengalis but they do not seek jobs as caretakers to patients. Maybe as cooks, but not as helpers in the healthcare industry. (Contributed by Rajan Narayan) NOW IT IS PLATINUM! IT is not widely known that platinum is more expensive than even gold. I-Phone, the most expensive smartphone, is now offering a platinum version of the professional iPhone for around Rs2 lakh. The iPhone is the largest-selling phone in India. This is partly because they are offered on an EMI basis. It’s a matter of prestigious to own an iPhone. We have a humble Samsung and are convinced it is as good as an iPhone. In all these YouTube videos the ultimate present the boyfriend can gift his girlfriend is the iPhone. Beg, borrow or steal, but give me an iPhone on my birthday. Like that. Interestingly, iPhones manufactured in India are more expensive than those made in China. Major manufacturers are shifting their facilities to India because of souring relationships. HOSPITAL HIT IN GAZA THERE is outrage in most countries over the ruthless Israeli air strikes on the biggest hospital in Gaza strip which has a capacity of 5,000 patients. It is the only medical facility serving over the 1 million population of the Gaza strip. The US is making excuses and claiming the attack was by the Palestinians. There is an increasing fear that other Islamic countries like Iraq and Iran will come to the help of the Palestinian Arabs in Gaza. GULF OFFER REFUGE THE rulers or Sheikhs of the Gulf countries have started offering long-term and permanent visas to rich Indians and foreigners from around the world. The strategy of kingdoms like Kuwait, Dubai and Sharjah is to develop their islands into residential areas with posh villas and multi-storied buildings. All the stars from Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan have luxurious villas in the Gulf countries. The most popular is Dubai which has lifted curbs on women eating in restaurants and attending entertainment events. Women may even attend cricket matches. This is no mean progress in the Islamic countries. MARIGOLD CULTIVATION BLOOMS! MARIGOLD cultivation has bloomed into a remarkable success story in Goa. Farmers are growing marigolds with the help of the Directorate of Agriculture and with the festive season here till the end of the year the marigold demand is being met in Goa itself for Dussera and Diwali. The golden and yellow marigold blooms are much in demand and the area dedicated to marigold cultivation in Goa has increased to 25 hectares. Marigold harvests are going to be to the tune of 125 metric tonnes. What sets Goan marigolds apart is their freshness and remarkable keeping quality, as they remains vibrant for five to six days, unlike the marigold flowers sourced from outside the state which tend to deteriorate within two days. The Goa government has been instrumental in supporting this blossoming entrepreneurship. The government offer a generous financial aid of Rs75,000 per hectare to incentivize new areas for marigold cultivation, and thus encouraging more farmers to enter the blooming business. It is in the spirit of “Local for Vocal” and “Swayampurna Goa” and Goans are now preferring marigolds from local farmers. Needless to say by growing and buying local we celebrate our own cultural heritage as also support local farmers to earn better livelihoods. Let us indeed say Viva to marigolds from Goa. CHILD PROTECTION THE Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs and Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights conducted a full day training session on Child Protection and the POCSO Act on October 9, 2023. The session was attended by 78 physical education teachers and it was conducted by inaugurated by Jennifer Ferrao ( Deputy Director of Sports & Youth Affairs) along with Peter F Borges (chairperson, GSCPCR). Jennifer Ferrao said the training would will help acquaint teachers with the laws of the POCSO Act, “Every student is as dear as our child and we as teachers have always left no stone unturned to contribute to their growth and development and protect them from abuse.” Peter F Borges detailed the role of teachers in ensuring protection for the children, that is abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect in school setting. Teachers should always be updated about contemporary child protection issues. The second session was delivered by Milena Gomes, public prosecutor of Children’s Court of Goa and she cited various examples of cases on crimes against children, highlighting the need for creating an ecosystem for building resilience and protection. The session on safeguarding children under POCSO Act, 2012 was delivered by Enakshi Ganguly (co-founder HAQ: Centre for Child Rights and hon professor, National Law University, Odisha). The Alia Bhatt starrer movie “Highway” was discussed, the film is about crimes existing incognito within our society, that is how in most cases they are swept under the carpet. For example, child sexual abuse. The POCSO Act protects all children under 18 years of age, it is gender-neutral and elaborates on the different forms of abuse ranging from sexual harassment to pornography to both penetrative and non-penetrative assaults. The correct approach to address such cases is to create a safe and supportive environment for school students. Teachers should gain the confidence of students so that they feel safe enough to confide in any form of sexual abuse to which they are subjected to. RAVI NAIK: FARMING IS IMPORTANT! STATE Minister for Agriculture Ravi Naik emphasized the importance of agriculture while talking to farmers on World Food Day on Oct 16, 2023 at a program organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, south Goa, and Directorate of Agriculture, at the Durga Farm, Chinchinim. He urged the younger generation to cultivate their ancestral land and enhance Goa’s agricultural economy. He observed that Goa offers all kinds of assistance to farmers but still “we don’t see satisfactory growth in the agriculture sector. Goa is a tiny state. If fertile land is kept abandoned and used for commercial purposes Goans will face severe consequences in the near future.” The minister inaugurated a mango gene bank and fodder cafeteria at Durga Farm, hoping that this will help farmers to get back old species of mangoes on the verge of extinction. Present on the occasion were MLA, Navelim and chairperson of Kadamba Corporation Ulhas Tuyenkar, MLA, Vellim Cruz Silva, Director-Agriculture Nevil Alphanso who informed that the department is working seriously towards revival of paddy cultivation and other kind of agriculture in South Goa. He added that paddy will be cultivated at Durga Farm; Krishi Vigyan Kendra, North Goa already has its mango gene bank, but South Goa was awaiting it to date. The mango gene bank at Durga Farm will cater to the needs of local farmers and help in the conservation of rare local species of mangoes. At present the gene bank has 32 varieties of mango saplings. Certificates on completion of KVK farmer’s course were distributed, technical folders containing detail information of farming, agricultural produce and other useful information were released. Sarpanch, Chinchinim Valentino Barretto, Zilla panchayat member Julieo Fernandes. Agriculture enthusiasts Father George Cardoz, Zonal Agriculture Officer Sheriff Furtado, Sarzora Sarpanch Rivona Fernandes were present on the occasion. Program coordinator Shivram Gaonkar compered and Jennice Alphanso proposed vote of thanks.

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BEWARE OF WALKERS! ANY orthopaedic aid such as a walking stick or even walkers have to be used with care! A walker for example is a piece of equipment to help you walk if you are physically handicapped or disabled for any length of time. The walker is considered the safest of them all amongst walking aids. It is a U-shaped stand with hand rests, it may be lightly lifted and placed to help you move forward without fear of falling. Sometimes patients make the mistake of putting their hands right at the top of the front bar and if a moment of weak drowsiness one’s balance tilts…in the early hours of the morning, you may just topple over on to the floor, walker and all. Injuries may range from minor if you are lucky and major if not so lucky. I was one patient who toppled over but luckily I sustained only a bump on my forehead and small superficial injuries at my right shoulder and elbow. There was no need to rush to hospital but in the case of the elderly there are always the continuing pains which may get worse of something is wonky with the body like a “spine crushing down” and affecting intertwined nerves with weak muscle tone…with this experience we caution all seniors at home to exercise extreme caution while handling walkers at night. Play it safe, wake someone up to be with you on the way to the washroom and for small jobs of peeing learn how to use a urinary pot or can. For male patients it is very easy to pee in a urinary can. We are told that the safest to use for balancing yourself is a walking stick or a walker but we think perhaps the old-fashioned crutches on either side under the arms are the best to equitably distribute body weight. (Contributed by Rajan Narayan) MEDICAL CARETAKERS IF you do not have children or extended family in Goa, you have no choice but to hire a caretaker. In our experience in recent times most caretakers or helpers are untrained in helping patients with a gamut of health issues. Most do not know have no revive a failing heart or give an injection or take a blood sugar reading. But most have strength which is useful. If you are just two senior citizens at home and take a fall and your better half can’t lift you up, you are in trouble in the middle of the night. Who will come to the rescue? There is a special technique involved in lifting patients who fallen on their back or on their front. Similarly, special skills are needed for walking. I have found that the largest caretaker agency in Goa is run by the remarkable woman Renuka Rao, a doctor in Ayurveda (at least her husband is). She has an agency which “imports” young men and women in need of a job from the country over to Goa, she gives them some basic training on how to manage patients in need of assistance in doing their day-to-day routine. She is very good and honourable. For caretakers for patients don’t come cheap. I have discovered that the minimum charges are Rs1,000 per 12-hour shift, plus a Rs100 or so more if you don’t provide lunch or dinner for your helper. Renuka is better than many of the other agents supplying helpers to patients in hospital or homes. She doesn’t send raw helpers say from the North-Eastern states who know not a word of English or Hindi, leave alone Konkani or Marathi. The job-seekers who come from Jharkhand or Karnataka or Bihar or Bangladesh at least know a smattering of English and Hindi and those from south India even may wax lyrical in Kannada or Tamil, and there are the Bengalis but they do not seek jobs as caretakers to patients. Maybe as cooks, but not as helpers in the healthcare industry. (Contributed by Rajan Narayan) NOW IT IS PLATINUM! IT is not widely known that platinum is more expensive than even gold. I-Phone, the most expensive smartphone, is now offering a platinum version of the professional iPhone for around Rs2 lakh. The iPhone is the largest-selling phone in India. This is partly because they are offered on an EMI basis. It's a matter of prestigious to own an iPhone. We have a humble Samsung and are convinced it is as good as an iPhone. In all these YouTube videos the ultimate present the boyfriend can gift his girlfriend is the iPhone. Beg, borrow or steal, but give me an iPhone on my birthday. Like that. Interestingly, iPhones manufactured in India are more expensive than those made in China. Major manufacturers are shifting their facilities to India because of souring relationships. HOSPITAL HIT IN GAZA THERE is outrage in most countries over the ruthless Israeli air strikes on the biggest hospital in Gaza strip which has a capacity of 5,000 patients. It is the only medical facility serving over the 1 million population of the Gaza strip. The US is making excuses and claiming the attack was by the Palestinians. There is an increasing fear that other Islamic countries like Iraq and Iran will come to the help of the Palestinian Arabs in Gaza. GULF OFFER REFUGE THE rulers or Sheikhs of the Gulf countries have started offering long-term and permanent visas to rich Indians and foreigners from around the world. The strategy of kingdoms like Kuwait, Dubai and Sharjah is to develop their islands into residential areas with posh villas and multi-storied buildings. All the stars from Shah Rukh Khan to Salman Khan have luxurious villas in the Gulf countries. The most popular is Dubai which has lifted curbs on women eating in restaurants and attending entertainment events. Women may even attend cricket matches. This is no mean progress in the Islamic countries. MARIGOLD CULTIVATION BLOOMS! MARIGOLD cultivation has bloomed into a remarkable success story in Goa. Farmers are growing marigolds with the help of the Directorate of Agriculture and with the festive season here till the end of the year the marigold demand is being met in Goa itself for Dussera and Diwali. The golden and yellow marigold blooms are much in demand and the area dedicated to marigold cultivation in Goa has increased to 25 hectares. Marigold harvests are going to be to the tune of 125 metric tonnes. What sets Goan marigolds apart is their freshness and remarkable keeping quality, as they remains vibrant for five to six days, unlike the marigold flowers sourced from outside the state which tend to deteriorate within two days. The Goa government has been instrumental in supporting this blossoming entrepreneurship. The government offer a generous financial aid of Rs75,000 per hectare to incentivize new areas for marigold cultivation, and thus encouraging more farmers to enter the blooming business. It is in the spirit of "Local for Vocal" and “Swayampurna Goa” and Goans are now preferring marigolds from local farmers. Needless to say by growing and buying local we celebrate our own cultural heritage as also support local farmers to earn better livelihoods. Let us indeed say Viva to marigolds from Goa. CHILD PROTECTION THE Directorate of Sports & Youth Affairs and Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights conducted a full day training session on Child Protection and the POCSO Act on October 9, 2023. The session was attended by 78 physical education teachers and it was conducted by inaugurated by Jennifer Ferrao ( Deputy Director of Sports & Youth Affairs) along with Peter F Borges (chairperson, GSCPCR). Jennifer Ferrao said the training would will help acquaint teachers with the laws of the POCSO Act, “Every student is as dear as our child and we as teachers have always left no stone unturned to contribute to their growth and development and protect them from abuse.” Peter F Borges detailed the role of teachers in ensuring protection for the children, that is abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect in school setting. Teachers should always be updated about contemporary child protection issues. The second session was delivered by Milena Gomes, public prosecutor of Children’s Court of Goa and she cited various examples of cases on crimes against children, highlighting the need for creating an ecosystem for building resilience and protection. The session on safeguarding children under POCSO Act, 2012 was delivered by Enakshi Ganguly (co-founder HAQ: Centre for Child Rights and hon professor, National Law University, Odisha). The Alia Bhatt starrer movie “Highway” was discussed, the film is about crimes existing incognito within our society, that is how in most cases they are swept under the carpet. For example, child sexual abuse. The POCSO Act protects all children under 18 years of age, it is gender-neutral and elaborates on the different forms of abuse ranging from sexual harassment to pornography to both penetrative and non-penetrative assaults. The correct approach to address such cases is to create a safe and supportive environment for school students. Teachers should gain the confidence of students so that they feel safe enough to confide in any form of sexual abuse to which they are subjected to. RAVI NAIK: FARMING IS IMPORTANT! STATE Minister for Agriculture Ravi Naik emphasized the importance of agriculture while talking to farmers on World Food Day on Oct 16, 2023 at a program organised by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, south Goa, and Directorate of Agriculture, at the Durga Farm, Chinchinim. He urged the younger generation to cultivate their ancestral land and enhance Goa’s agricultural economy. He observed that Goa offers all kinds of assistance to farmers but still “we don't see satisfactory growth in the agriculture sector. Goa is a tiny state. If fertile land is kept abandoned and used for commercial purposes Goans will face severe consequences in the near future.” The minister inaugurated a mango gene bank and fodder cafeteria at Durga Farm, hoping that this will help farmers to get back old species of mangoes on the verge of extinction. Present on the occasion were MLA, Navelim and chairperson of Kadamba Corporation Ulhas Tuyenkar, MLA, Vellim Cruz Silva, Director-Agriculture Nevil Alphanso who informed that the department is working seriously towards revival of paddy cultivation and other kind of agriculture in South Goa. He added that paddy will be cultivated at Durga Farm; Krishi Vigyan Kendra, North Goa already has its mango gene bank, but South Goa was awaiting it to date. The mango gene bank at Durga Farm will cater to the needs of local farmers and help in the conservation of rare local species of mangoes. At present the gene bank has 32 varieties of mango saplings. Certificates on completion of KVK farmer’s course were distributed, technical folders containing detail information of farming, agricultural produce and other useful information were released. Sarpanch, Chinchinim Valentino Barretto, Zilla panchayat member Julieo Fernandes. Agriculture enthusiasts Father George Cardoz, Zonal Agriculture Officer Sheriff Furtado, Sarzora Sarpanch Rivona Fernandes were present on the occasion. Program coordinator Shivram Gaonkar compered and Jennice Alphanso proposed vote of thanks.