Caravan Dispatches - Somewhere in the Border of Malawi and Zambia

18^th November, 2011 in the evening

Somewhere in Zambia, Chipata border

I am writing this at the border of Malawi and Zambia where we have been for about 4 hours waiting for our friends to be cleared at the border. It has been a good day. Wonderful, actually. The Malawi event was what many have called the best so far. It started with a 10 kilometer walk and went on to an elaborate meeting which was graced by the deputy prime minister. After having lunch we drove down to the border and most of us had our papers cleared; Guys are waiting around patiently. I think we are learning that waiting is part of the whole process. Some of us had to have our passports done and so that wait.  People are friendly here. Very helpful indeed. There are enough flying insects in this place. They crawl on your clothes. Don’t be alarmed. They are not harmful.  We are sleepy. Really sleepy. My legs look like balloons. They are swollen because of sitting for long hours in the bus. But l think they know not to throw a tantrum. They have to get used to the idea the will have to un-swell on their own.           

Caravan Picture Speak - Malawi Welcomes Caravan of Hope with Song and Dance

Song and dance by the Malawians welcomed the caravan of hope as they got in from Tanzania. Find the story http://bit.ly/s6TChl  here is the story in pictures.

 

 

 

Drum Roll

To the Right

To the Left

Now Jump

Let's go down

Let's Go

Caravan Chat - When the Marginalized Maginalize the Marginalized - Part 2

Of bad roads, illiteracy and conflict

In Isiol,o you have only one tarmac road that is the Nairobi-Isiolo road which is deteriorating fast. Infrastructure development is at a minimal. Minimal infrastructure development translates to lack of access to education. 92% of women in upper and North Eastern are not educated according to the United Nations. A combination of illiteracy, leaders who capitalize on people’s ignorance, dwindling resources are all a cocktail that makes for conflict that flares up with murderous consequences. Not just human to human conflict but also human to animal. When a clan is attacked they tend to move away and not as neighbors to human beings because there is no trust. They move away encroach on conservancies or the other way round. So they move away and burn charcoal for energy. What they don’t burn, they sell. Then hits the migration season where elephants move in search for food and water. In the process of encroachment the humans tend to plant a certain type of acacia tree that is locally known as ‘chagara.’ Elephants like this acacia tree. We have had a farmer who found 90 elephants on his farm one morning. The herd was following the acacia tree.

Any significant changes since Friends of Nomads started operations?

Yes, there have been significant changes. With the passage of the constitution  the community here demands knowledge. When l have talks with people they come from as far as Merti to Isiolo which is over 250 kilometers. They come to ask about good governance. People in this area have been voting without knowing why they are voting but the constitution has changed all that. 

A Program that Changed Communities Mind Set

We have also done a program under the UN program on gender and governance where we looked at devolved funds together with the community.  When we went through the process the community stopped a Community Development Fund, CDF, funded project.  The kitty had been used to construct a Kshs5 million hospital which ended up with no medicine or medical staff. The community now knows that the CDF money belongs to the people and not the government. That is what people’s participation does.

Compiled by Maria Wanza

Caravan Chat - When the Marginalized Maginalize the Marginalized - Part 1

Nkatha Mercy, Program Officer, Friends of Nomads

She doesn’t stand out in a crowd, but Nkatha Mercy should. Not with all the knowledge she has about the local community she serves.  Nkatha is part of the caravanites who are headed to Durban, South Africa.

Situated in upper Eastern in Isiolo county, Friends of Nomads, the organization she works as a program officer, has a vision of empowering pastoralists for a better life.  I begin what ends up being an intense and animated 10 minute chat about what she does and why climate change and climate justice is intertwined with governance.

Climate change and good governance

Climate change and climate justice are cross cutting issues that are intrinsically tied to governance. Bad governance caused the drought and famine that Kenya experienced.  In days past, they had ways of telling the seasons and had ways of working them out amongst themselves.  Now, when drought happens in this area, you have leaders pitting communities against each other as they fight for natural resources.

Of Killings over Natural Resources

Matters are handled fast when it is a tourist who is shot but when it is locals it takes them time to even recognize something happened. As l was leaving for the caravan, 3 people got killed but the authorities didn’t do a thing. People fight for natural resources all the time. The media doesn’t capture this. Extreme poverty, clan politics coupled with illiteracy make for a deadly combination. There is a lot of Clanism here. It doesn’t help that the society is not exposed. They also have minimal interaction with the outside world. Throw in the different dynamics that all these communities bring with them and you have a deadly mix.  

So, what does good governance mean?

Good governance means participation and engagement of the communities. It also means that leaders are held accountable and communities experience equitable distribution of resources. Good governance must not just be heard but it must be seen to be happening. Borana are majority  in this area and more specifically the Sekuyes, which is a clan within Borana community. Top positions in this area are occupied by this community which automatically causes conflict among the other communities.

Marginalized getting Marginalized by the Marginalized

Biggest issue in the environmental area is land. Isiolo is an area that is full of national parks. It is the second richest after Narok. Yet the riches serve only a few. This is marginalization within marginalization. The community as it is already marginalized by the outside world and the situation trickles down to among themselves.

Marginalization by government policies  is deliberate which is seen in Sessional paper Number 10 of 1965 by the late Tom Mboya. In essence, the policy advocates investment of resources in areas with potential of high returns and hoping it will trickle down to the populations, which obviously does not. 20% of Kenya constitutes of high potential while 80% is Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, ASAL. 90% of all livestock comes from ASAL areas. There is also cash from the game resources. These areas are also tourism areas because of the national parks which means more revenue by this community. That Sessional Paper was really bad for this community. 

Read Part 2....

Compiled by Maria Wanza enroute to Malawi

Caravan Dispatches - Tanzania Enroute to Lilongwe, Malawi

Fueling for the journey ahead

It is about 8pm on the 17^th November 2011, as we leave Karonga, Malawi where we have just had dinner and are now headed to Lilongwe in 3 bus convoy headed by the Malawi team. These buses have attracted so many people since the caravan started. It’s a natural reaction and especially if you see 3 buses full of people just driving across your town. Anyways,  I seem to like writing the caravan dispatches while in motion. So this is being written as the bus is in full motion with caravanites beginning to catch some much needed sleep. It has been a long day. Just yesterday we were in Dar with the Vice President who was flagging off the caravan. It looks like ages ago.  

We have travelled over 1600 kilometers to just be here. Here being Malawi whose border officials are over friendly at a time when people were so tired.  Funny thing is, our bodies are acclimatizing. The fatigue seems to settle and altogether disappear. That must be good especially because we still have Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and finally South Africa to get to. We had a a day of driving through Tanzania straight into Malawi. That can be tiring but also very interesting.

The money changing is mind boggling. You get to the Malawi border and there is forex bureau. Oh an official one, Most of the time you just have the local guys who have appointed themselves as money changers doing the business. Sometimes it is good. Sometimes it is bad. You could end up getting a raw deal or a very good one. What an oxymoron. 

Then there are the different modes of officials on the borders. At the Rwanda border they were very fast and so were those of Tanzania. The Malawi ones though were friendly but to some very tired caravanites. There are borders that we found very strict officials while others were very relaxed.  Tonight the weather is warm. The bus l am in has most of its windows open. No one is complaining or making frantic requests of please close the windows. Very different compared to the other countries at night. Working with a team like this one has to appreciate the logistics involved. This right here is not child play. Getting everyone together even for simple tasks can be mind boggling. But l have said before, the logistics team here is both professional and diplomatic. Of course group dynamics come into play. You can expect that with not only different personalities but also with different nationalities. 

That said, l can’t wait to get into Malawi and see what it is they have planned for the day. I know there is a procession at 8am followed by some activities. The reason l can’t wait is because this team came to meet us at the border and had a whole activity take place right there. Back at the eating joint, l made friends with the receptionist who let me charge my mini laptop. Friendly people. She told me about Lilongwe just enough for me to nod and think…do some little digging about it. For now the driver powers on with either side being pitch black and the caravanites taking a pause. I probably should do that. I will keep you updated on my observations on caravan dispatches.

Caravan Picture Speak - Tanzania's Loud and Clear Message

Drum Roll....

The Tanzania leg of the Caravan of Hope was marked with both celebration and sober reminders ahead of COP17 meeting in Durban, South Africa. Find the story at http://bit.ly/sD0fID Following is Tanzania's flag off in photos.

Tanzania Vice President Dr Mohamed Garib addressing the audience which included caravanites

Rebecca Muna, ForumCC Coordinating Team member speaking during the flag off function in Dar es Salam, Tanzania

Tanzania we are here!

Loud and Clear Message

Caravanites with their representative flags

Caravan Dispatches - A Stuck Bus Somewhere in Tanzania

14^th November, 2011

Somewhere in Tanzania

Hmmm! ‘Gari imekata mafuta,’ whose literal translation means, ‘the car has cut oil.’ This means the petrol is not getting into the right places hence causing the bus to get stuck. Ok that is enough explaining, l need to tell you about the journey. 

So this is the second time this is happening. It is nearly 7.30pm and we are stuck right in the middle of nowhere. The drivers say it is a few kilometers to Dar es Salam. On each side of the road a few huts and some bushes and it is totally pitch black. No really.Here when it is dark, it really is dark and especially if the area has no generators. I want some fear to kick in but it can’t because the people around me are so relaxed. One caravanite says, ‘it is time to do a poem which would be titled..in the still of darkness,’ to which he gets a round of laughter. The driver who is not answering when we ask what is wrong, is working feverishly to correct the problem. The second bus has already caught up with us and its drivers join in. 15 minutes after tinkering with the engine or whatever it was, the bus is ready to go. I laugh when l hear one of the drivers saying, ‘when l touch this bus it behaves itself but when it sees a hill it begins to misbehave.’ Really? It has now become a living thing? 

We take off into the night hoping that this was the last episode. I haven’t reached yet. I am still wiring and on the road to Dar. Let us finish this when we get there. An hour later, we are in Dar and the bus has conked out again. This time though we are so relaxed. I think we have faith in our drivers. Now after all the scary experiences we know they know what they are doing. Tinker for 10 minutes and drive off to the hotel.

By Maria Wanza