Goa, April 20 -- JENIFER FERNANDES

joseph@herald-goa.com

ALDONA: "I may not have been good at studies, but I always believed that hard work would lead to success and happiness. I believe I have a God-given talent to serve people". That's how Joaquim Fernandes of Udoi Vaddo, Aldona, sums up his life philosophy. Now 68, Joaquim has been working since the age of 15-fishing, farming, building houses, cleaning wells, fixing roofs, cutting trees, and more. He has never been tied to a single employer or vocation and carries with him a rare sense of joy and pride in doing honest work.

"I didn't answer my Std VI final exam-I quit school. But even then, I had a clear goal: to work hard and fulfil my ambition," he says. Joaquim's story isn't just...