Rwanda was named the 54th member of the Commonwealth this week.  It is the only country outside of Mozambique who does not have any historical ties to Britain.   The country was originally colonized by Germany and later Belgium.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Louise Mushikiwabo, the government spokesperson, said,”My government sees this accession as recognition of the tremendous progress this country has made in the last 15 years,” //

Iris just found out that her credit card has been cloned!  She’s the second person that has had her card cloned in the five weeks that I have been here.  As Iris said, “South Africa is a shitty place [in terms of crime].  This is worse than in Brazil, man.”

Iris had to go to Nelspruit in South Africa on Thursday to get her visa renewed.  She needed cash for the transaction and stopped by an Absa Bank ATM to get rands, using her credit/debit card to withdraw funds.  She had remembered feeling slightly suspicious because a man behind her was being extremely helpful, trying to walk her through the process.  She was also wary because the ATM allowed her to withdraw money against her credit card even though she had entered the wrong pin.  This morning, Iris checked her accounts and found her funds wiped out!

We had heard that South Africa is not the place to use ATMs.  Tricia, my project manager, had gone to South Africa about two weeks ago and also found false transactions placed on her card within days of using it. She had gone to a legitimate bank, Standard Bank, to withdraw funds and didn’t even use a pin.  It is apparently common knowledge around here that one should not use credit cards or ATMs in South Africa.  Based on the speed of theft and the details used, we think that there is an organized crime network accessing the bank records.

I have been extremely lucky here in Mozambique thus far.  In my first week here, I needed to withdraw funds from the ATM at the JAT building and accidentally left my card in the ATM machine. The nice mcel guys called out to me and returned my card.  I’m glad that I was based in a friendly and relatively safe country as Mozambique; I would not have lasted a day in South Africa.

On another note, we somehow started getting internet access in the last few days at the Hotel Monte Carlo.  It’s ironic how it’s working now that I am leaving.

Travelling through South Africa, Swaziland and the beaches Mozambique this tour gives you a mix of the old and the new and great photographic opportunities.

Discover the diverse culture and rich wildlife of South Africa and Mozambique with a maximum of 16 person in our custom built full size expedition truck. With over a meter of legroom at each seat sit back, relax and experience the wonders of Southern Africa.

We have purpose-built our expedition vehicle, a Mercedes 1820 truck to be one of the best in the business, with exceptional reliability and speed. The truck is designed with our clients in mind: as a result, comfort and space are high on our list of priorities. The truck seats only 16 passengers. A smaller group size means that our tours have less impact on local communities and on the environment. We do not “rack-em, stack-em and pack-em”, as some companies do. Reclining coach-style seats, with over 1.3 metres of leg room, give you the space you need on long days of travelling. Our unique drop-down windows afford exceptional viewing. Above each set of seats is a roof hatch to provide an additional all-round viewing option.

There are two storage lockers per set of two seats. One locker is located inside at your feet for your hand luggage/camera gear and contains a box-safe for travel documents, money and other valuables. The other is an outside baggage locker. The truck itself is fully lockable. The linked cab and passenger compartments allow for optimal communication between passengers and the crew, and includes an intercom system for travel information.

We provide the services of an expert photographer and digital download facility on all our overland tours, a unique feature making us stand out from the others! One of our crew (normally the Tour Leader) is a full-qualified, semi-professional, photographer who will be available to give advice on photographic (and video) techniques; and will organise “workshops/tutorials” on photographic subjects and techniques (eg landscape, wildlife and bird photography, night shots, close-ups and portraits) to assist our guests to improve their photographic technique. We also provide a laptop computer with multi-card reader for those clients with digital cameras to enable you to download your memory cards and burn those special memories to CD or DVD while on tour.

Source: Nature & Kind Travel Collection

Nature and Animal Conservation

 

     Preserving species and their habitats is important for ecosystems to self-sustain themselves. Yet, the pressures to destroy habitat for logging, illegal hunting, and other challenges are making conservation a struggle.

Visit : http://www.globalissues.org/article/1…

 What is Biodiversity ?

 

    The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

   

    Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

Does it really matter if there arent so many species?

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Who Cares?

  Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions

It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecological problems.

 

  

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The white ribbon has become the symbol for the day.

Click on the picture to join the Community

Garderen kan de oranje klompen wel weer in het vet zetten of de haard ermee aansteken, het prinselijk paar zoekt een vakantiestek in het buitenland, ver van Nederland…

Het nog af te bouwen vakantieoptrekje in Mozambique is nog niet af en verkocht of het prinselijk paar heeft al weer een andere locatie gevonden en de grond gekocht! Kennelijk zit er haast achter om zo snel als mogelijk uit Nederland te vertrekken, al is het maar om eens vakantie te kunnen vieren…

Argentinië is geen ontwikkelingsland zoals Mozambique dus het geleuter debat over dat het niet kies is om in een ontwikkelingsland een decadent vakantiehuisje neer te zetten is daarmee uit de lucht!

Leuke bijkomstigheid is dat Hare Koninklijke Hoogheid Prinses Máxima der Nederlanden de taal spreekt wat handig is bij de lokale VVV om er navraag te doen over bezienswaardigheden.

We verkneukelen ons al op de eerste vakantiekiekjes uit het verre Argentinië!

Prins en prinses kopen stuk grond Argentinië

AMSTERDAM -  Kroonprins Willem-Alexander en prinses Máxima hebben twee hectare grond gekocht in een villapark in Patagonië in Argentinië.

Dat schrijft Elsevier woensdag. In diezelfde streek hadden ze ook al een ranch gekocht. Een medewerker van het makelaarskantoor zou gezegd hebben dat de prins en prinses verliefd op het uitzicht zijn. Wat het paar met de grond gaat doen, is nog onduidelijk.

Vrijdag werd bekend dat Willem-Alexander en Maxima hun omstreden vakantievilla in Mozambique gaan verkopen.

I’m not so sure that everything is good.  Since I have been in Mozambique, I have gained at least 10 pounds.  I think it all started with my new addiction to Coke, which tastes so much better here because it is made without high fructose corn syrup.  The can of coke was quickly followed a side of french fries and then an ice cream split per meal.  Today, I even managed to squeeze in a chocolate croissant for a snack!

I attribute the weight gain and overeating to difficulty in finding tasty food and to lack of mobility.  For my first two weeks here, I ate a lot from the Nautilus cafe downstairs as well as at the restaurants by the hotels.  Since then, I have also tried a few of the local “ethnic” restaurants, including two Indian restaurants, two Portuguese restaurants, two Thai restaurants, a Chinese restaurant, and an Italian restaurant, and have found most of the food that I have eaten to be lacking some essential flavors.  Even though I have access to probably what is the best food in Mozambique, I never feel sated.  It’s the curse of having lived in great culinary cities like San Francisco and New York.

The quantity of the food that I consume would not be an issue if I were more mobile.  Because safety is a concern, I try to go out only when there is daylight or when I am with others, which is a major constraint.  It usually gets dark between 6:45 to 7 pm and dusk seems long, probably due to the position of the sun, barely giving me enough time to walk to dinner in the evenings.  It is a shame that I can’t walk to work  because the hotel is literally up the hill from the office but the local staff said that it may be unsafe to walk with my laptop.  My exercise is limited to walking up and down five flights of stairs twice a day and perhaps a walk to the restaurant maybe five times a week. 

I leave for Tanzania on Monday.  Fingers crossed that the food is good and that I can have a more active lifestyle there.

Drawing on archival sources, this article seeks to demonstrate that the migration of the Ismaili diaspora from Mozambique to Portugal in the 1970s did not simply come about as a result of the April 1974 Revolution and of the decolonization process; rather, it was a carefully prepared and orchestrated event that was perceived in different ways by those taking part in it. Thus, on the one hand, the article provides an account of the means and circumstances of the departure of this community, as well as of the ways in which the Portuguese colonial authorities regarded these movements; on the other hand, an assessment is made of the ‘traumatic’ dimension of the departure of a community characterized by strong internal cohesion. This traumatic dimension comprehends a variety of individual experiences, which were eventually to undergo significant reconfiguration upon arriving in Portugal.

Article is in Portuguese.

first; i want to write about what happened to david.

it was the 31st of October, heads were fuzzy, footsteps and progress was slow, we had said goodbye and thanks to some fellow volunteers, and drank some wine, as we do, the night before, did not sleep enough after spending too long tuning a guitar and sipping whisky nightcap/s. the 6am wake up every day of the week is still 6am every day of the week. I had been staring at my computer screen for hours trying to determine if I was being productive or more useless than usual. I wanted to go to the farm and help burn the bricks, or help weed, or help mulch. But I was doing something, I remember I was doing something… useful, while staring at the screen.

I chose rice over spaghetti that day. Like most days, if I had the choice.

11.30am and I must be consumed by water, I needed to be consumed by water, the fresh cool delicious water of lago Niassa just there, waiting, calling, perpetually, just there.

I see some staff on the beach chatting about something, I pass and say hello, “im going in there,” I say to dev, pointing at the blue, “nice,” he responds.

I strip to my bra and nickers, and put my goggles on. There are some waves breaking close to the shore, I swim past the beginning of their swell and a bit far out to swim alongside the lakeshore – david comes past me in a canoe, david is from the farm, and although we don’t share a language, we’ve had fun, we’ve managed to laugh, and work together, digging pits for the mud bricks, carrying bamboo, weeding, eating cassava and plantain bananas, and drinking tea.. “where are you going?” I ask. “Yah,” he says, always ‘yah’. “Are you going to the farm?” “Yah, no, Mala, Manure,” he says pointing north; he’s going to Mala, a nearby village to collect manure for the compost. “Okay, tunana bambuyo,” (see you later) I say. “yah..” he goes…

and I go swimming down the lakeshore, slowly, bobbing over the waves. When I come back after a few minutes, I notice some other staff in the water, hurrying to get out and put their shorts on, I wonder if its because they don’t want me to see them in their undies… Jamie, one of the staff from guest-management, runs over the platform that goes out on to the rocks just past the harbour. He runs back and up to the office. I see two fishermen come around from the rocks in a dugout canoe, and I think it must be because they’re not supposed to be fishing so close to shore, and they’re going to get yelled at.

Devon, one of the mzungu managers, rushes back down with Jamie and Willard and on to the platform; I get out of the water and wrap a sarong around me just as other staff come rushing down, I wonder what’s happening. Joal, a carpenter, is next to me and says, “guy from farm, canoe,” and signals it tipping over, “david?!” I say, shit, I run over to the platform and see that the guys are in yellowfin, the speedboat and are looking in the water, fuck… I run back to the lake and see them pulling the green canoe out from the water onto the boat… my heart takes gulps of air and starts to beat faster.

I grab my goggles and run into the water and swim out the boat, just near the furthest rocks, I’m cursing and breathing and cursing in time with my strokes. I start to swallow air and dive down a meter or so, to see the bottom, I can see it, but nothing..
The boat comes over to me, can you see him? No, where was the boat? I keep diving down and looking around, rocks shock me as I spot them, up and down, my head feels like it’s being squashed together between an iron clamp the deeper down I go. We keep looking for 20 mins or so, the boat circling around, and the guys looking over the edge. Finally they leave to see if/what the fishermen saw…

I swim back to shore and run around to the rocks on the other side of the bay, in case he’s over there somewhere, I clamber up and over the rough black and white stained surfaces, my feet gripping as I move. I’m still swearing as I move from one high point to the other; I look around, the clouds are semi-covering the sky and in the cracks the lake glistens and shoots crystals into my squints – I keep seeing breaks of water out further, ‘is that him?’ please let it be him, after about another 20 mins I see the speedboat coming back, so I go around and see that they continue looking around where they pulled up the boat.

I slide roughly into the water again, by this time the swell has picked up a bit and the waves are stronger – I swim over to them and dev says “the boatmen said they saw him swimming to the rocks, and we spoke to emmanuel (at the farm) who said one time david ran away into the bushes when a rock got into the water pump and he was scared.. so he might be okay..” – oh, but no one has seen him. We would have seen him. We keep looking, and eventually someone from the boat points somewhere, I follow them- now emmanuel and some fishermen have come out in another boat and we stop at the same point, he’s pointing down, I duck under, a meter or so, and see a shape, it shocks me, I see it’s an orange shirt – like the one’s the farm staff wear – I pop up, it’s his shirt, shit, oh shit oh fuck, oh jesus, I go down again and see it again, clearer.

People are further over and I move with them, I duck down and see him, david, this image will never leave my mind – he’s lying there, on his side, as if sleeping, arms bent and near his head, as if near where his pillow would be, he’s swaying with the undercurrent; I go up. ‘oh jesus, oh fuck, its him’ – I go down, there are other guys swimming now, trying to see if they can get down to him. It’s too far. He drowned.

I’m in between the boats now, and there’s a lot of commotion, people know, they know he’s dead, but people are moving fast, or slow, I don’t know.

Eventually one of the staff dive down with a rope and manage to loop it around his legs – they pull him up onto the boat, and as his torso is making its way over the edge, his limp arms flap over his chest.. I just watch..

I think, ‘should I do CPR?’ Should someone try? It’s been over an hour now, there’s no chance.

They take him back to the land, and I swim back to shore; I wrap my sarong around me and move to where everyone is gathering – the women are separated from the men, and one person starts wailing, and others join in, they start screaming and crying and fall to the ground sobbing – I don’t know where to sit, should I stay with the women or the men, I stay with the women for a little while; then we move over to join the men – discussions are happening about what to do, – we have to send a message to his family, who will go?

They are discussing whether or not to call the police, the police might cause problems if they don’t see the ‘scene’ – they might cause problems for us – say that something else happened, but devon and I are determined that we have to tell the truth, there is no other option – the alternatives scare me a little.

So dev calls the police in Cobue, and two people go off to send a message to his family, an hour or so walk south of nkwichi. – people sit together for a while, then break apart, we walk back to the office and it starts to rain – emmanuel sits down and starts crying, I am stunned, but calm.

I go to the farm to find hilda and joyce – to tell them, I walk the 15 minutes there feeling surreal and unsure, it’s grey and raining a little, thunder is cracking, and lightning threatens..the bush is bright green and yellow..  I don’t find anyone there, so come back.. I sit down to eat something, rice… and stare into space, at people moving about slowly, and murmuring, sitting, staring also. Later I go back to the farm with a letter from emmanuel to joyce and hilda.

‘I’m going to wait here, we’re going to wait for the people to come back from mbueca with the family’s choice about what to do with the body, then we will take the body by boat to his family’. They’re in shock, not speaking, murming, hilda asks me if his body is bloated… ‘I don’t know..’ ‘he had 5 children,’ she says. ‘I’m sorry’. We go to the lake to remove the pump from the rocks, and hilda puts it on her head, ‘you’re strong’, mpavu I say.

I walk back and later, just before sunset about 20 of us cram into the boat, with david’s body wrapped in a sheet and blanket at our feet. Everyone puts on life-jackets, for the lake is angry, rough, the sky is dark clouds and raining on and off – why must we put them on now? Its ironic, I have never seen anyone wearing one before. The journey to mbueca is quiet, but people chatter and babies cry. The swell is big and we move slowly over the water, up and down.

Once we arrive, the chief is sent for, and we sit on an old dugout, murmuring about mosquitos, Rebbeca, big mama, who is like a mother to me, says we should be careful, because the family might say that we killed their son.

The chief and some people come down, we speak a bit, about what to do, then a bed frame is brought and we place david’s body onto it, then we carry it along the beach as the moon is appearing from behind the clouds and we can see everything, this silent precession along the lakeshore, we go into the village, up through the ghostly cassava plains, past mounds of rocks keeping the soil in place, past homes made of earth, of grass, and women begin to wail, scream, weep, yell and scream, I can see shapes, people, figures, clearly, not clearly.

We arrive at his home, and lay the body down, the family is there and are weeping, some women fall to ground at his side and cry and yell and wail. We step back and wait to be asked to be welcomed by the father.

He is humble and grateful, for us bringing his body ‘I know it was an accident, I know how hard it is to find the body out there, sometimes it gets so deep and people never find the body, thank you for bringing him to us, I hope you treat all your staff like this.’ – devon says a few words, and so does emmanuel. Tomorrow will be the funeral, the carpenters will make a coffin and bring it by boat.
We leave, back through the cassava under the moonlight, our trail, barefoot over rocks and sand, back into the boat, surreal laughter, silence, chatter, movement, the women stay in the village. We return. I wash, and notice the crocodile tracks are back, leading from the lake to the swamp across the glimmering white sand.

That night I sleep, I’m scared a little, in shock, I worry about dreams, of that image. But I sleep.

I spend the morning at the farm, watering mostly, there is no pump because emmanuel is at the lodge, and there is no one else now.

So I make several trips to the lake with a watering can, I want to water the fruit trees, it’s hot, but overcast, I don’t want them to die, the trees…

Around lunchtime, a man from mbueca comes and asks if we can hurry up with the coffin because the body is starting to puff up and bleed, they want to bury him.

The coffin is beautiful, and wrapped in green and black ma

terial. We take it to mbueca by boat – I have my camera, I want to photograph the ceremony, once on the land I ask if it would be possible .. they ask the family for me, and then I am directed where to go. I follow the men under a big tree, the largest I have seen in this area, there is maybe 100-200 people sitting under it, all men, the women have split off and gone somewhere else – I am feeling awkward, sticking out as the only white woman amongst a crowd of Mozambican men. They’re looking at me and I hide on the edge.
- some words are said, and I am pointed at as the mzungu from the lodge, and after a little while I am taken up to the family home, past the place where david’s grave has been dug – a wave with respect to those who dug it. Up to the house, there are maybe 50 people, 100 people gathered under the grass thatched roof, singing, all singing and looking out, down to the lake below. Inside are the priests, the family, david, others. I sit outside with the singers, as one song follows the other, they’re beautiful – the songs, I wish I could sing them. I record them instead.

I am taken inside and into the room where david’s body now lies in the coffin – I didn’t ask to photograph this, but it appears they want me to. The father and some other men nod at me, and signal to photograph – so I do, click, click, it’s dark, you can’t see his face, but maybe that’s ok.

Out again, and I am signaled to photograph the wife, and family who are on the floor, staring at the wall and crying – I wonder why, but do so anyway, I feel like such an intruder, photographing people grieving and singing – I can’t hide now, I am standing in front of everyone.

Out again and down the path to the tree. Then the ceremony starts- the singing comes closer and closer, led by the cross and the priests – in single file through the cassava fields, under the tree they lay his coffin, they sing, everyone sings, these beautiful songs, I have heard some of them, from where? The church singers.

They say some prayers and the ceremony moves to the graveyard. There is singing, non-stop, as he is lowered into the ground, and people begin to shovel dirt over the coffin, taking turns, the men, taking turns with all the shovels, smiling, some, this ceremony, I’ve never seen anything like it – it seems so regular, almost, but with so much respect and love, it is a beautiful ceremony; he was loved, he was known, everyone, it seems, from the entire village, is here. the clouds are booming, blossoming almost, above behind the mountains behind us, and over the lake on the other side.

Eventually it is over, and the food arrives, but we are leaving, and we run down to the boat, dodging plants and rocks; there is an incredible burst of light breaking and splitting onto the lake far away. It seems too fitting, too planned, it’s there, it’s present.

On the boat back people are laughing. And smiling, some vomiting; but this life has been cherished, even if people experience death at a much higher rate than I do, than some do. It is respected and cherished, but life for others continues…

–
that night, in my hut, in my home, my temporary home, my bamboo and grass thatched hut, where I have been able to lay my belongings for longer than I have since leaving Australia, I wake up, its about 2am, I need to go to the toilet, but contemplate not going, convincing myself I don’t need to. The moon is still bright outside and I can see it through my mosquito netting.

Suddenly I hear a mans yell, a screaming becoming louder up the path towards me, as if he’s running away from something, a leopard? I have had too many dreams about leopards for me to now see one. My heart starts beating at a million beats per second – I get up and listen, it sounds as if the man has run up my path and stopped at my door, I am silent, but I can’t hear anything, I am frightened, shit-scared, I have never felt this fear before – I keep listening. Nothing. I get out from my mosquito net and grab the machete I have been keeping beside my door since I am the only one in my village now, the others left two nights ago. Where is Esau? Where is the nightwatchman! I want to yell for him, but am dead silent. I try and peer on to my veranda, but only the glimmering-flickering of the lantern is there. I stand behind the mesh for about 10 minutes, and still I hear nothing. I really need to pee now, but am way too scared to go outside. So I pee into my large camping mug, and it resonates throughout the hut, I am still holding the machete.

Eventually I get back into bed with the machete beside me and take a while to get back to sleep. In the morning I ask Esau in broken chinyanja and portugese if he heard anything last night, nothing, nada… I was scared, I say, telipo, he says, I’m here.
I know! but maybe you were asleep… I wonder if I was dreaming, I can’t have been dreaming, it was more real than dreams of mine. But maybe I was dreaming…

David couldn’t swim, he was a fisherman before being a farmer, and he couldn’t swim, he lived on the lake all his life and couldn’t swim.
I hope he is now resting in peace.

In plaats van een mooie ansichtkaart vanuit Mozambique worden we verrast met een brief van Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid, de Prins van Oranje, Willem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand, Prins der Nederlanden, Prins van Oranje-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg…

Zijne Excellentie, de zeer geachte heer Balkenende is de geadresseerde en dankzij Internet en in het bijzonder het Ministerie van Algemene Zaken (dus niet die van Specifieke Zaken) mag het Volk meelezen wat ‘Prins Pils’ schrijft!

Onvoorzienbare omstandigheden (crisis) nopen de Prins van Oranje zijn in aanbouw staande vakantiewoning te verkopen, zeker nu de voortgaande publiciteit en hun deelname in het Machangulo-project, hen zeer raakt.

In februari 2007 wist de Prins van Oranje nog van geen kwaad van de prins en nam deel aan het Machangulo-project. Ook een prins als de Prins van Oranje wil wel eens recreëren! Twee vliegen in één klap moet de Prins van Oranje hebben gedacht, want hij kon het aangename met het nuttige verenigen doordat de bouw van het vakantiehuisje de plaatselijke bevolking ten goede zou komen.

Om een kort verhaal langer te maken, de bouw van het vakantiehuisje gaat evengoed door en als het wordt opgeleverd dan wordt het weer verkocht aan de meestbiedende. De nieuwe eigenaar kan dan lopen pochen met de opmerking dat hij een vakantiehuisje heeft dat ooit van de Prins van Oranje is geweest, maar waar hij nooit vakantie in heeft gevierd!

Voorlopig zal het Koninklijk Paar een vakantieoptrekje moeten huren om even tijd voor zichzelf en de ‘royal kids’ te kunnen nemen en de formele plichtplegingen te laten voor wat ze zijn.

Als u denkt dat we hiermee klaar zijn, dan komt u bedrogen uit… de hele toestand en de aanstaande verkoop heeft ook gevolgen voor, bijvoorbeeld Joop van Tellingen, ‘s Neerlands bekendste paparazzo, die, volgens zeggen dan, al een survivalcursus zou hebben doorlopen om in de jungle rondom de Machangulo te kunnen overleven om stiekem de mooiste plaatjes te kunnen schieten van de Koninklijke Familie. Zijn hele set camouflagenetten schijnt hij te koop hebben aangeboden op Internet.

Zo ziet u maar weer, een medaille heeft twee kanten, en een zijkant, waarop gelukkig – anders dan wat Joop van Tellingen mogelijk bij elkaar vloekt en tiert — “God zij met ons” staat…

PS – Ik wil geen mier coïteren, maar de brief had hier en daar een kommaatje extra mogen krijgen… sommige zinnen lopen in het midden vast. Maar een kniesoor, die daar op let!

Willem-Alexander bij ontwikkelingsbijeenkomst Den Haag (Foto: NuFoto)

De kroonprins schrijft in een open brief aan de Tweede Kamer dat hij met dit project de lokale bevolking heeft willen helpen.

“Inmiddels bestaat het risico dat door de voortgaande publiciteit over onze deelname in het project deze ontwikkelingen ten goede buiten beeld raken, elke misslag wordt uitvergroot en het project wordt benadeeld. Tegelijkertijd kost de voorgaande discussie een hoeveelheid tijd en energie die juist in deze periode van crises aan andere zaken moet worden besteed.”

Premier Balkenende zegt het besluit van prins Willem-Alexander en prinses Máxima te respecteren.

Le prince héritier des Pays-Bas Willem-Alexander et son épouse Maxima ont déclaré  qu’ils allaient revendre leur maison de vacances en construction sur la presqu’île de Machangulo, au Mozambique, après de vives critiques contre leur projet.”La publicité et les discussions continuelles sur notre participation dans le projet Machangulo nous affectent profondément”, a précisé le prince héritier.Willem-Alexander et Maxima s’étaient engagés en février 2007, aux côtés d’autres investisseurs, dans un projet prévoyant la construction d’un hôtel et de villas de luxe, dont l’une devait devenir leur résidence secondaire, sur la presqu’île de Machangulo. Ce projet, approuvé par le gouvernement du Mozambique, a soulevé  de très vives critiques aux Pays-Bas. “Nous ne voulions pas seulement une maison de vacances dans un bel endroit tranquille, où la vie privée est garantie, mais aussi contribuer au développement de la population locale”, a souligné Willem-Alexander dans sa lettre.

I have two girls I sponsor through World Vision. Bekelu is 12 yrs old and is from Ethiopia, and I’ve sponsored her for about 4 yrs now. She has a few brothers and sisters and goes to school and si doing well. Luisa is 10 yrs old and is from Mozambique and I’ve sponsored her for about a year and a half. She too has a few siblings.

I get a yearly update or ‘report card’ on each child as well as what is happening in their village, from World Vision people. Here is this years update:

Bekelu:
National language – good
Local language – very good
English – good
Mathmatics – very good
Science – good
Civics – very good
Social studies – good
Physical science – very good

Bekelu has been promoted from Grade 5 to Grade 6. Her favorite subject in school is Science. Her favorite sport is hand ball and her favorite animal is a sheep. Bekelu’s favorite color is green and her favorite hobby is music. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.

Bekelu’s community has benefitted by sponsorship as well:
-construction of irrigation channel that helps farmers use water without wastage
-distribution of improved fruit seedlings and vegetable seeds to irrigation users which helps them produce income generating crops, as well as diversify their family diet
-construction of cattle crushes for effective animal treatment
-training has been significant in the community on HIV/Aids – improve awareness
-establishment of girls club in school to prevent themselves and others from harful traditional practice by teaching others through drama shows, playing advocacy roldes and conducting meetings with concerned goverment offices on the issue
-support the celebration of African Child Day to advocate child rights through it
-construction of additional school blocks which increased enrolment of of children
-provision of rewards to outstanding students to encourage students especially girls, as a result students have been much encouraged
-provision of school uniforms and school materials to registered children to strengthen school enrollment
-furniture has been supported which benefitted 1800 students
-construction of potable water scheme which comprises 2km line extension, three water points, reservoir and generator house construction – this enabled the community clean drinking water in a short distance

Luisa:
Luisa’s marks overall are ‘average’ and she has been promoted from Grade 4 to Grade 5. Her favorite subject is Portuguese and her favorite sport is Hopscotch. Luisa enjoys washing dishes and her favorite food is Rice and Salads. Her favorite color is Red and her favorite fruit is Bananas. Her and her family participated in distribution of Bed Nets in their community through World Vision sponsored donations.

The community benefitted this year:
-3 ox stalls were built to benefit more than 136 subsistence farming families. The ox stalls help with animal sanitation management.
-2 water pumps were purchased and are benefitting 103 subsistence farmers. Also, 13,000 meters of irrigation channels and draining ridges in the fields of 6 famers associations were opened. The channels and draining ridges will improve acquisition of water for the agricultural needs
-HIV/Aids training was provided for community and church leaders, as a way of helping those already infected and affected. People are more likely to listen to a religious leader talking about HIV and Aids while preaching in church. The goal is to mobilize churches to care for orphans and the chronically ill in this community
-2 boreholes were drilled that willl benefit about 1500 people each. This has made a huge difference for childrena and families by reducing distance walked to fetch water and will reduce waterborne diseases

Both communites have had many good benefits from sponsorship of their children by people from around the world… if you only do one thing – think about sponsoring a child. The impact is far reaching! And its rewarding to get updates and hand written letters and drawings from your ‘child’.

Robin and the Client (with a few additional guests) did a quick fly in and out “site visit” yesterday to the lodge on the Sanctuary, Vilanculous – Mozambique.  The project is now fast nearing completion, with the ironmongery order from France having arrived on site ready for installation.  Materials on this project had to be brought over to the Sanctuary by dhouw- the wood, stone, cement, etc. which made a normal day’s building a tad bit more difficult.  All the doors and windows for the project were purpose made and carved on site, by local Mozambican craftsmen and then treated to look “weathered and old” – this I might add, the local craftsmen found very confusing!

So as you all who have been keeping up with me probably know, I have this amazing citizenship project which keeps me pretty busy! Why haven’t I mentioned it before now? 2 reasons: 1. i’ve been lazy… didn’t really know what to say about it! 2. i wanted to wait until i had the website up so i could actually SHOW you what i’ve been doing! And now that i have the Squidoo Lens up, along with the website, I am excited to be finally rolling! Now I can actually work on marketing. But.. I’m getting ahead of myself here. So let me tell you what exactly I am doing first!

Basically, I am marketing these bags, called Capulana Bags, for a group of people in Mozambique! The beginning of the story goes to a town called Mucatine, Mozambique. A group of people there recently got some irrigation stuff put in, and have been able to produce some crops! Which is great! Now, they want to take those crops to the market. Small problem… horse and buggy aren’t going to work. They need a truck! So, they decided to raise money in order to buy a truck! How? They created these authentic bags, and have sent them over to the United States. This is where I come in. My job is to market the bags! I’ve made a Squidoo lens about them, as well as a website.

I could blog for hours and hours about all the technical problems ive experienced with the websites! But, thank the Lord, finally we have a site up and running where people can purchase the bags! Click here to see the website!. Also, if you would like to see my Squidoo lens about it, Click here!! Go to either one of those pages for more info about the project, or to buy a bag! (I would recommend going to the website, as it has everything the Squidoo lens has and more.)

Comprised of diverse eco-systems, and a unique cultural and historical heritage, Gorongosa National Park has positioned itself as Mozambique’s ultimate walking safari destination. Situated among the Lower Zambezi and delta systems, Gorongosa is saturated with exotic wildlife that thrives thanks to these powerful, neighboring water sources.

Famous for its rainforest, roaring waterfalls, mysterious caverns, rivers, grassy floodplains, woodlands, Albida forests, and sprawling pans, the Gorongosa is the premier destination for those looking to gain a broad insight into some of the world’s most fascinating eco-systems. Since Gorongosa’s natural world is defined by its complex eco-systems, having the best guides on your walking safari through the National Park is an absolute must.

One such safari provider, Explore Gorongosa, is an eco-tourism company that prides itself on its expert guides and their ability to combine all the social, historical, cultural, and ecological elements of the region into their guided tours.  Because of the area’s deeply rooted history and its affect on Mozambique’s natural world, no other destination in Africa provides a more well-rounded insight into a specific region quite like Gorongosa National Park. This historical heritage is arguably the strongest element that sets Gorongosa apart from other popular walking safari destinations.

Incorporating the history of the land and its affects on the region’s fragile bio-diversity, the exceptional walking safaris offered by Explore Gorongosa provide an all-encompassing and highly educational experience for all visitors. On these walking safaris, you’ll learn how the region’s history of ancient civilizations, Arabs, and gold, ivory, and slave traders, tribal conflicts, and restoration projects, has shaped Gorongosa into the exciting place it is today. In addition, you’ll be able to see the direct affects this history had on the wildlife population and how conservation efforts over the past several years have transformed the area into one of Africa’s most stunning destinations.

In addition to employing the most knowledgeable locals in the area as certified guides, Explore Gorongosa accommodates guests in semi-mobile, luxury tents. Housing up to eight guests, Explore Gorongosa’s accommodations offers an intimate atmosphere and safari experience for all its visitors. Since each walking safari incorporates the minute details of nature, as well as larger details, Explore Gorongosa only provides private safari tours to ensure you experience the entire detective aspect of a walking safari.  

Since there are no set safari itineraries, you can choose to enjoy whichever aspect of Gorongosa National Park you wish. Whether you’re looking to experience a theme-based walking safari—such as a birding safari, or an all-encompassing walking safari, Explore Gorongosa will cater to your every individual preference. 

Exclusive walking safari excursions:

If you’re interested in a more niche-oriented safari excursion that combines your favorite interests, some detective work, surprise, excitement, and inspiration, Explore Gorongosa provides a series of special interest safari excursions throughout the year. In the coming year, choose from individual expeditions such as birding, species re-introduction, photography, artistic, anthropological, Gorongosa Mountain, and lion studying.

All encompassing walking safaris:

As you journey through the varying terrain of the Gorongosa on an Explore Gorongosa walking safari, you’ll learn to listen for the distinct callings of Mozambique’s wildlife, search for animal markings, and track paths of residential lions and elephants with the invaluable expertise of Gorongosa’s certified local guides. These highly knowledgeable guides introduce you to the hidden elements of Gorongosa’s indigenous wildlife that ranges from larger game to intricate wildlife hidden beneath rocks and inside crevasses.

Fascinating birdlife including the green-headed oriole, African fish eagle, Egyptian geese, a wide variety of crane species, and much more can be seen during your comprehensive tour through the Mozambique bush. Many of the larger species of animal spotted are Nile crocodiles, lions, hippos, antelopes, and elephants.

In contrast to ecological tours, community tours allow you to discover inspirational elements of the local culture and take a deeper look into how culture has been shaped by Mozambique’s history. You’ll also be able to tour the newly built school and hospital in the Vinho community and observe the positive effects it has had on the locals.

As you observe Mozambique’s bio-diversity, you’ll learn about the direct correlation between the region’s empowering history and its wildlife population, as well as the numerous conservation efforts that helped save this region’s species.

The World March for Peace and Non-violence reached Mozambique at the beginning of November…

Michieu Lourens

After following the Sunway Trade Route through Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique we arrived in Tofo – a vibey coastal town with white beaches, warm waters, a small local market and, above all, ocean safari’s – the opportunity to go snorkelling with whale sharks!

We headed out to sea in search of one of these beautiful giants of the ocean. We were soon in luck and the captain gives his call for us to put on our snorkels and fins and dive overboard…

This beauty is a massive 8m long! She was just beneath the surface and we were able to swim along side her as she glided almost effortlessly along.

Some of the more experienced divers swam beneath her while others preferred to keep their distance from this rather large animal!
After some time she took a plunge deep into the clear waters below us. The boat came round to fetch us and we climbed on board again. We were in awe after being in the water with this giant, graceful creature.

As we bobbed along the sea we spotted manta rays, various fish and even a nurse shark overboard. There were 4 more whale sharks each varying in size (they can get up to a whopping 20m long!) We dived with them all several times – the most fascinating being with a curious baby shark who circled the group a few times before heading on.

After 2 hours of interacting with the amazing sea life in the bay we headed back to shore and said good bye to our fantastic captain and skipper. It had been an amazing trip and, although some of us were relieved to be back on shore (it was a bumpy ride at times!), we knew none of us would forget this amazing experience.

Que la gente de la aldea no la habría de querer allí, ida y vuelta, otrora niña de la tierra, hoy mujer de visita. Si había salido había cortado los lazos, no debía mostrar el golpe de la partida. Porque en ella les dolía haberse quedado.

Mirando las alturas, Muidinga repara en las diferentes razas de nubes. Blancas, mulatas, negras. Y la variedad de los sexos también en ellas se encontraba. La nube femenina, suave: la desnuda viene, desnuda va. La nube macho, arrullando con pecho de palomo, con feliz ilusión de inmortalidad.

En aquel lugar la guerra había matado la carretera. Por los caminos sólo las hienas se arrastraban, hocicando entre cenizas y polvo…Aquí el cielo se había vuelto imposible. Y los vivientes se acostumbraron al suelo, con resignado aprendizaje de la muerte.

Fotografías tomadas en Mozambique en el año 2001.

Blog del libro Africano de José Ramón Huidobro.

Textos pertenecientes a la obra “Tierra sonámbula” de Mia Couto.