The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

THE year 2020 will go down as one of the most devastating years for the Bahamian economy in recent history. The country received a double blow –- Hurricane Dorian followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Collectively, we are stunned and in recovery mode. These traumas will take time to recover from, and most if not all Bahamian households have been impacted in some way.

At least 170 Bahamians have died due to COVID- 19 to date. At one point, nearly half of the population was jobless. The Government has had to allocate more money over a longer period of time to a feeding network that is assisting tens of thousands of families. So much has gone wrong. But some things have also gone right.

The Earth has had a sabbatical and the atmosphere has had less pollution. It has had a chance to rejuvenate.

Amidst the pandemic, some new businesses have started up, and some have prospered like never before. Others have shut down and their brands have disappeared.

It seems many people were also passing away suddenly this year, and many babies were being born.

On December 21, Jupiter and Saturn were conjunct at zero degrees in the Constellation of Aquarius, signaling the beginning of a new age. Through it all, those of us who are still here to witness the changes remain more humble, more aware... more conscious of our lives and the need to respect, love, and show appreciation to others.

I took the time to get some reactions about this monumental year.

For Charisma Simmons- Schëutz, this year was a difficult one. She lost her grandmother who raised her from birth, and whom she called, “mummy”. Elizabeth Reid was laid to rest after passing away from natural causes on August 28. She was the matriarch of the Reid family, and mother to many as a leader in the Ridgeland Park community.

Elizabeth is the mother of seven children, including Pastor Carlos Reid. Yesterday, her youngest son, Michael J “Scooter” Reid passed away of cancer. His name is being heard in the annals of youth and sports today as people mourn the loss of this nation builder. Scooter, a father of four, (D’Angelo, D’Andre, Danielle and Mikel) taught and coached basketball. He worked for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and he was instrumental in securing scores of scholarships for Bahamian youth.

“She was the family matriarch, keeper and fierce defender of the family guard and of its dynasty... the holder of its glue,” Charisma said of Elizabeth Reid.

“She taught Sunday School and mentored young ladies. Scooter, like his mother, took the word ‘family’ to heart and his reach, too, extended beyond the Reids. Scooter, like his mother, was a community leader. They were not just human beings. They were positive youth life-changers. Brother and son Carlos Reid is now running with the mantle. They were do-gooders now resting with the angels in heaven.”

“The year 2020 was such an eye-opener for me. It is so important to cherish people and respect time... even good things have an expiration date. When I say cherish people, I mean, every step a person makes in your life... you must respect the moments you walked together. Scooter was cherished of the time spent with family and friends. He loved to reflect and would often tell me life stories.”

The community of the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute is also going through shock and sadness with the passing of its young and progressive Computer teacher and IT Technician, Nicholas Richardson. The 25-year-old teacher was making strides at the institution and was well-liked by students and peers. He was a well-known DJ who went by the name “DJ Flow”. He succumbed to sickle cell anemia after a bout in hospital.

The institute, which implements a hands-on approach to learning, had an interesting 2020 as it adjusted to a fully-online platform. It is about to enter its second semester. Students have adjusted in various ways, including performing agricultural assignments at home and presenting video journals of their produce; doing internships; visiting local farms; conducting research; and ordering equipment from abroad for projects like aquaponics. Indeed, schools throughout the country are adjusting to the new normal with some growing pains.

The loss and unavailability of jobs was a concern for many this year. Antonia Adderley, a concierge tour representative, said the pandemic struck just as she was afforded the opportunity to start a new job. That opportunity didn’t come into fruition, but she has high hopes as she plans to start her own venture through the Access Accelerator programme.

“I am amongst the thousands of people that aren’t working,” she said.

“Hurricane Dorian and the pandemic was a double-whammy. You have so many more now added to the number of families that need help... people who need food, clothes and shelter. I, myself have not received the help, but thank God for family and friends. God is ever faithful and true and through it all, we must always look for the opportunity to look into new ways to be self-sufficient in all areas. We must not rely only on society or the job market. We must rely on ourselves. It will be a long and trying process, but as long as the Government gives us the full opportunity we need to launch our ventures and become business owners, we can succeed. It has to be an easy and efficient process that really empowers people.”

Lanette Sands shared her reflections: “2020... wow, what a year! Where can I start? COVID came knocking on my door when my husband presented the news that whilst in the line of duty he tested positive for COVID. Immediately, I isolated myself and my children. Trying to nurse him back to physical health, I decided that I, too should get tested. Nurses were astonished that I did not get COVID. I used bush medicine, but really, it was the grace of God that kept me, because He knew that my husband would need me to nurse him back to physical strength.

“Meanwhile, we had family members who also tested positive and died in the line of duty. We all had our challenges and experiences, but I can look back at this year and say it has truly been a year of tremendous blessing. I had my dad and my brother in ICU. My mom was ill at one point. I was the only person standing in the gap for them, experiencing a mental breakdown but getting back up, as the scripture reminds us to be content in whatever situation you find yourself in.

“Through it all, we have lost loved ones, but here we are, alive to testify and be a witness that no matter what we face in life, our challenges are not to break us down, but to build us back up stronger than ever.”

Donnaveo Sherman, intracellular consultant at Essentially Alkaline, said the business managed to stay afloat through a difficult year, as it provides premier plant and herbal-based solutions for maintaining and defending nutritional needs and the immune system, which became vital to stay healthy during the pandemic.

“2020 was a very interesting and challenging year in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“It caught all of us off guard in terms of the lockdowns and all of these stipulations. But through the weeks and months, and even coming to the end of the year, we still stood strong, unified in terms of maintaining our status at Essentially Alkaline. But, it was a challenge in terms of being home and assisting with home schooling while running the store.”

“Hopefully, 2021 doesn’t meet us doing the same thing, although the forecast looks like we are going to be in kind of the same boat. Hopefully we can get over this and move forward in terms of beating this pandemic that has been very unprecedented. Hopefully, the competent authority has the vision to see the measures that are implemented are doing more harm than good.”