Happy New Year!

With the dawn of 2022, I wish you all new hope and good health.

Gone are the days that we say things like ‘new year, new me’! These days we know better of course, we learn that each passing season teaches us lessons with which we grow, learn, be better, do better.
So, this year, I wish that you find hope where you need it the most, in yourself.

The pandemic is truly now a guest who has overstated their welcome but, that as it may be, we know what we need to do to keep ourselves, our loved ones and our communities safe from it – maintain hygiene, test, vaccinate, mask-up. Slowly but surely, it will go from being a pandemic to being endemic – that’s what the scientists are telling us anyway.

What is endemic? What does it mean?

Scientists and medical professionals describe an infection as being endemic in a population when that infection is constantly maintained in a population. In Europe, chicken pox is endemic. In India, malaria is. I’m not sure how encouraged you will feel while reading this, but it is something that the experts are feeling optimistic about so I thought I’d share!

Now, for a moment, let’s put all thoughts of pandemic aside and focus on sheer, human achievement. Achievement against the seeming impossible.

Have you heard of Preet Chandi?

32 year old Preet Chandi, a British Sikh army officer has become the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole. Yes, you read that right. She journeyed to the South Pole . By. Herself. Not only that but she completed the 700 mile trek (1126.5 KM) on her own, in 40 days. She announced her success on the 3rd of January, detailing how she had overcome her journey and seemingly achieved the impossible.

Now if that isn’t inspiration, I don’t know what is?

Well, I do actually. The new year has brought brand new creative articles from our young voices in Switzerland:

 

Would you like to write for Young Voices? Each month, we accept three articles (non-fiction, fiction, reviews, travel writing, recipes etc) and artwork. If so, please do write to us at team@namasteswitzerland.ch.

In your wider community, you may recently celebrated the feast of the Epiphany. In German- speaking Switzerland, you may have eaten the Dreikönigskuchen. You might have even reigned as king or queen for the day! In the French part of Switzerland, you might eaten a galette des rois.

Indian communities in Switzerland are gearing up to celebrate festivals associated with the winter harvest, from Pongal to Sankranti and many others in between.

Wherever you are, however you are marking January, I wish you well. The Lucy lights on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse may have been packed away for another year but the light of hope remains within. Keep celebrating yourself!

New Year Illustration by Anoushka Rao

Disclaimer: Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any financial, reputational, legal, misrepresentational or other obligation or liability which may arise from the content of this article.