A year of uncertainty, yet a year of unity

2020, a year where a lot from work-from-home to remote learning to many other things became popular. Amid all these, what became more noticeable than ever before is that there live many unsung heroes among us; people who tried to do their parts by putting effort in an attempt to extend their helping hands to people in need in the time of a global pandemic. As the year comes to an end and we prepare ourselves to embrace a new year, we at Toggle, reflect on the past, look on what we have learned, and appreciate the warriors who tried so hard for the greater good.

In the time of a global health crisis, healthcare heroes, despite the risk involved, continued to treat and heal coronavirus infected patients. We talked to Dr Ikramul Hasan Khan, Lecturer at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College and Hospital, regarding this. He shared how everything was so difficult at the initial stage. They had to go through many challenges, especially during March/April, and such was not the case only in our country but in the world as no one was prepared to take such a hit.

Moreover, due to the spread of misinformation, various kinds of disastrous incidents occurred. Gradually the situation did get better as people became more aware of the disease. However, even now, the road is not quite easy because of the ongoing second wave of the virus. Also, the long term existence of Covid-19 took a toll on the healthcare providers' mental health along with others where anxiety became a part of their daily lives.

He elaborated on his experience of dealing with the pandemic saying, "Although we already had the experience of responding to national crises before, this time with the Coronavirus crisis, the situation was all the more dire and different. However, we keep on going because of the responsibility we feel we have towards attending to our duty, which came with choosing such a great occupation. Life and death are in the hands of the creator but what we do with our lives is up to us".

"This year was an eye-opening year for us. We need to re-think the definition of success again as we come to an end of this year. We tend running after degrees or material success, but these come much later on the list. Humanitarian qualities and values are what set us apart from other animals, so such principles should be the focus of our attention and prioritised. The ultimate success is more than our worldly temptations which are temporary, but giving back to the world is eternal", he added.

Meanwhile, In the face of a global pandemic, many helping hands came in to help the helpless. Individual effort, as well as Organisational effort, was what people needed. Many voluntary organisations stood together and against all odds, joined the fight against Covid-19. Among them, one was the voluntary organisation, Bidyanondo. The volunteers of Bidyanondo did not surrender and stayed determined to continue their good deeds to combat Covid-19.

They have not only distributed dry foods, cooked meals, masks, PPE so far but also their medical team is continuing to provide medical facilities to those who require the support even in the remotest of places. They supplied baby food and delivered grocery items for people stuck at home. They have made Corona dedicated hospital in Chittagong, helped farmers as well as many underprivileged humans. Their Shabolombi project that aimed to help people become self-dependent was a successful initiation among many other projects they undertook. They have many other projects running even now.

According to Faruque Ahmed from Bidyanondo, "The journey, although at times, was tough for us to endure, at the same time, it was a significant achievement for us because we got the opportunity to do some social work, and that brings mental peace to us. While providing reliefs, we have visited many places, seen people up close, met them in person, heard about their sufferings, and all the experiences have made the volunteers even more confident now. The fear of the Coronavirus is there, but so is our strong sense of responsibility. We had Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Navy, BCG, BGB and various other voluntary organisations including JAAGO Foundation and Manusher Jonno Foundation assisting us. We are grateful for all the supports we have got from others".

Even though we mentioned only a handful of people in this article, it is to be acknowledged that, the homage we pay is due to everyone - from doctors to farmers, from delivery service providers to law enforcers to many more; even commoners who stayed at home refusing to go out except in the case of urgency deserves the applause.

The crisis brought out the best in people where many tried to rise above their obstacles and limitations to uplift others, because, well, the world needed it. During the pandemic, where, in one hand, the farmers kept the country fed, the teachers adapted and transitioned to the new method of taking online classes because the nation needed to keep the education going. Everyone who did their job right is to be given credit and appreciated.

There was a remarkable collective effort as people from different sectors came together to mitigate the consequences of Covid-19, and now, at the end of this year, with the news of the invention of the vaccine, people are finding hope despite all the sacrifices they had to make.