Caravan Dispatches - Flashback -Leaving Durban

Written on 5^th December 2011

Durban. Courtesy of celsias.com

I am writing this as we leave Durban and head into Pretoria. It has been a wonderful week full of activities. I sit here and think  to myself how beautiful to have gotten involved in such a historic moment…a road trip through 10 countries.

 The Trans African Caravan of Hope is indeed first of a kind in this continent. To be part of history, is to know you contributed to something positive in the continent. I have heard people say on several occasions, we wondered if you would ever make it. I guess when we started out we didn’t think how engaging this trip would be. I have seen people at their lowest and their best. I have witnessed kindness from caravanites one to another that was not expected.

One of the most beautiful thing is to witness a melting of the different communities into one African melting pot that is the Caravan of Hope. Last night one of the caravanites told me how they will miss everyone and how going  back by road will give them time to appreciate all that participated. See that is the thing. This morning someone told me, ‘l feel so sorry for you guys and the distance you have to cover.’ ‘Well ,’ l quipped knowingly, ‘it is shorter compared to what we covered on our way in.’

What people don’t get is that we almost are unaware of the distances. We are glad that we did this. The distance is long but we are glad that we were part of history.

By Maria Wanza

Crunch Time As Caravan of Hope Arrives in Pretoria, South Africa

This Piece is being written on our way to Durban at around 9.30pm on the 25^th November, 2011. It has been a relaxed day today. As we drive for the next 6 hours, we realize we are about to descend on Durban and crescendo what has been a spirited campaign. This morning over 100 caravanites from the Trans African Caravan of Hope chanted demands outlined in the Africa People’s Petition as they waved placards and patriotically held their country flags high. This was outside the Union Building in Pretoria. 

During the meeting the continental coordinator Mithika Mwenda urged South Africa ‘not to let Africa down during this COP17.’ The group then picked on that and chanted it out with the realization that COP17 is just a few hours to kick off. The Caravan of Hope is travelling over 7000 kms by road to Durban, South Africa. The caravanites have witnessed what climate change has done in the continent including increase of temperatures in all the countries we visited like Kenya which also played a hand in the drought and famine that the country experienced early in the year, heard about Zimbabwe’s Veld fires, Uganda’s mudslides, Zambia’s late harvest due to delay of rains among others. The list is endless. 

This group presents a cocktail of the true reflection of Africa. Here we have farmers, youth, scouts, womens groups, religious representation, civil society, government delegations. These people come from both rural and urban area representation. 

Africa is diverse. For her to be heard during this COP17, diversity must be her strength. 

Fighting for Climate Justice for the Marginalized

 He fights for the marginalized with a clear focus

Joseph Mururu from Kenya is a caravanite with a mission. He is going to Durban, South Africa to fight for climate Justice especially for the marginalized communities he is working with. Joseph who works with the Shape the Child Charity Foundation tells me passionately that for years now they have continued empower marginalized communities in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands, ASAL, areas by capacity building them on issues of food security. Shape the Child Charity Foundation also works with orphans and Other Vulnerable Children. They also have education and health projects. 

The Marginalized

Their description of marginalized also includes empowering communities leaving in the slum areas. He tells me, ‘The slum areas are also marginalized. They lack social amenities that a lot of people take for granted.’ Shape the Child Charity Foundation works in Kibera the largest slum in Eastern and Southern Africa whose education levels are low compared to their counterparts in other parts  of the country. They also work in Turkana, Isiolo and Kajiado district. He tells me in no uncertain terms, ‘we are growing the list because the need is great.

A Child Who Got Help

Pomp and Color to Mark Kenya's Gala Night Caravan Flag Off

In the build up to the CoP 17 meeting in Durban, different countries are involved in in-country activities to welcome and flag off the Trans African caravan of Hope. The caravanites will be coming to Kenya on the 13^th -14^th November, 2011. They arrive in Nairobi in the wee hours of the 13^Th  November, 2011  morning and leave on 14^Th November, 2011 morning.
To this effect, the Kenya Climate Change Working Group, the Kenyan host of the caravan has activities lined up to ensure that the caravanites have a memorable event here in Nairobi. There will be various activities before the caravan gets to Kenya which will be culminated with a Gala night to flag off the caravan.

PRE-CARAVAN ACTIVITIES LEADING UP TO THE GALA NIGHT

Schools and Campus Petition Drive

In collaboration with the Green Africa Foundation(a KCCWG member and recently the 2011 MDG award winner in the category of Environmental conservation) , KCCWG will have a petition drive in schools that will seek to educate young people on issues of Climate Change, what the talks in Durban are critical for their survival, sensitize them on the caravan. There are also volunteers within PACJA that are carrying out petition drives within different campuses. They will create a social media event on face book in which campus students will sign the petition online.