Caravan Dispatches - Somewhere in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Bulawayo City Hall

I am sitting at the balcony of the hotel we checked into late last night here in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It is about half past six in the morning but like l mentioned before, it looks like 8am in Nairobi.

The morning is chilly but there are sun rays that are teasing their way through the heavy clouds.I don't know if they will tease enough to scare the clouds into some sort of retreat. 

From where l sit, l grin knowingly. This could be anywhere in Africa. 

Straight ahead on my right there is what seems like a taxi man who is calling out to passengers going to a certain place in the city. The drivers are hooting as the conductors try to convince the potential passengers to get into the cars. Just down the road on my left is a petrol station that is still closed. 

As the ravens at two roof tops away peck at some grains l can’t help but marvel at how different countries in Africa can have such similarities. 

Last night when we got in there was no food at the hotel and we had to go find something to bite. ‘Is it safe?’ You knew that question was coming. ‘Oh yes it is. You don’t need to worry,’ the receptionist had assured us. He was kind enough to direct us to a good take away place. No not a fast food place but a take away place with good homemade food. I have found out that that is very different. In most places we have been to take aways are usually associated with fast foods. Here we found out that these places with homemade take away foods are popular. 

At 10pm they were still open and we had to queue. As l waited in line, l chatted with the owner and he told me he lived in Nairobi a while ago. I then told him why we were visiting Zimbabwe and l went into all-about-the-Trans African Caravan of Hope event speech. Hmm! Something l have done during border crossings especially in Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe. So back here at the balcony in Bulawayo l can see that the traffic is picking. 

Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital city Harare. It is estimated that there are about 1million people who live here. This is city is multicultural whose residents speak at least 3 languages including English. These are Ndebele, Xhosa, Kalanga, Sotho, Nambay, Tonga and Venda.  The Majority of  this city’s population belongs to the Ndebele ethnic and language group. Bulawayo is considered at the industrial and business capital of Zimbabwe. That little brief from Wikipedia can work for you for now.Smile.

Caravan Dispatches - The Spice That is the Caravan

Variety. Uniqueness. Creativity. That is what has marked this caravan as we have found ourselves in different countries but with the same agenda of fighting for climate justice. 

I am writing this on the bus as we go from Lusaka to Livingstone, Zambia which is a 7 hour journey but no worries, we have acclimatized. 7 hours now looks like kid play. So it is here that l can’t help but recall how countries have interpreted the message of the Caravan through their activities. Yesterday, about 55 caravanites joined us from Lusaka Zambia. We are now slightly over 120 caravanites in 4 branded buses as we head to Durban, South Africa. 

Back to the recalling … The Trans African Caravan of Hope worked through task forces in all the participating countries. The coordinating task force which was working from Kenya coordinated with key country task force members. The country task force members then ensured coordination worked within their countries. The world should know that we went to Durban, South Africa for  COP17 and we were not quiet about it. 

Spiced Up the Tshirts

When it was all said and done, we have had common designs but different interpretations. This not only came through our activities but also in the communications materials. While Kenya and Rwanda had white T-shirts with green and red collars respectively, Uganda chose green and red t-shirts. Zambia had interesting colors which included grey, beige and black. Coupled with that was a few more that had been meticulously hand woven with a heavy African heritage. Malawi gave us among other things, straw hats that the caravanites have taken to wearing since then.

Spiced Up Activities

Zambian Permanent Secretary Urges Global Leaders to Commit to Legally Binding Deal

A tired look flashes across his face as he tells me that he now has to irrigate his farm because the rains are failing. It is costing him more.

Flanked by PACJA continental team,  Permanent Secretary Eularia Mwale during the Meeting

‘My government therefore, including other stakeholders, stands firm in support of the need to ensure that global leaders conclude a legally binding climate change agreement during the UNFCCC conference in Durban, ‘  Said Eularia Mwale. She is the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President of Zambia, Provincial administration Eastern Province.  The PS was speaking during a welcoming a speech of the Trans African Caravan of Hope in Chipata, Zambia yesterday.

Women with children on their backs and others in their 70s ululated and sang spiritedly as the caravanites entered the event area and began to socialize with the attendees. The caravanites joined in and danced along whether they understood the words of the songs or not. It was all in the spirit of solidarity. These women had come from all over Chipata district.

The Caravan of Hope has been to 6 other countries since the 9^th November 2011. Zambia is the 7^th country on the list of 10 countries that are involved in the Caravan which is a huge awareness road trip that is headed to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Durban, South Africa.

During the meeting, the Hon Mwale also appreciated the input that the government of Zambia has continued to receive from the civil society that has been aimed at effectively responding to the challenges imposed by climate change. I spoke to her after the meeting and she said that her government has given priority to women farmers. Adding that through their farmer support input program, women farmers have continued to receive inputs for farming through their clubs. This program, she said, is aimed at working towards contributing to total food security for Zambia.

This has also been happening across the gender divide. This must be good news to Marksesio Ngoma, who is a maize, beans, sunflower and sweet potato farmer. A tired look flashes across his face as he tells me that he now has to irrigate his farm because the rains are failing. It is costing him more. The hot seasons seem longer than ever. That is why this COP17 is important to farmers like Marksesio.

Robert Chimambo from Zambia Climate Change Network, ZCCN, who also attended the meeting said that the failure of the global leadership to set up firm collective actions by 2009 as agreed through the Bali Process was a disappointment. He urged as he reiterated the Permanent Secretary’s call that, ‘all parties to the UNFCCC need to act with renewed urgency and determination to ensure a fair and safe legally binding deal.’ This has been the clarion call as African leaders graced the Caravan of Hope events across Eastern and Southern Africa. 

The participants who held their respective country flags also witnessed the planting of trees dedicated to all the countries that caravanites have gone through. What made it interesting was also a tree that was planted in honor of the late Prof Wangari Maathai.

By Maria Wanza

Caravan Dispatches - Of Welcoming Government Officials and Timing Culture Shock

19^th Nov, 2011

So now we are on our way from Chipata, Zambia. A supermarket attendant asked me, do you know how far it is? And before l could answer he said, ‘600kms plus.’ I smile. He smiles back. I tell him, ‘I think we will survive. We have so far covered over 4000kms and we are still going.’ I hear myself say that and l can’t believe. What? We have surpassed the half way mark and we are still going strong. Chipata, Zambia gave us a feeling of being wanted. The government through its DC had last night at around 7pm spoken to us. We felt privileged that a government official had taken the time to come and meet us. What was more surprising was what happened when we got to the border in order to clear and get into Zambia.  ‘Oh so you are the Trans African Caravan of Hope team?’ To that we chorused yes. So at that point we didn’t have a clue as to what we had done. We were kind of taken aback. We listened on. ‘Okay so we have your tomorrow’s program here. Let’s check you in.’ And just like that we began what would feel like ‘we are glad you are here experience.’ Just a few hours ago we finished the event and we went to pick snacks. After that, the police gave us escort for about an hour. 

I have to tell you about the change in timings. I know for sure East Africans were shocked by the fact that when we awoke this morning, 4am looked more like 7 am to them. In fact, one of them had already gotten out to find a cyber café. He told me that when he found one, the proprietor there said, ‘we are open only at 0800hours and not earlier.’ To which he said, ‘How can you be closed when the sun is high in the sky?’ His answer, ‘No one will come to the cyber at 5am simply because the sun stands high in the sky.’ Yeah, what culture shock. We got to Lusaka fine and found some very hospitable people. Cheers Lusaka.

By Maria Wanza

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