An African Environmental Pioneer · 2019-06-06 · books: The Green Belt Movement; Unbowed: A...
Transcript of An African Environmental Pioneer · 2019-06-06 · books: The Green Belt Movement; Unbowed: A...
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The recession may be drawing to a close (knock
on wood) but some of us are still feeling the
pinch. With the inflation rate climbing steadily
up and money becoming increasingly hard to
come by, there is no better time like now to be
economical and adopt a greener lifestyle at the
same time. We are happy to bring you 15 easy
recycling tips that will help you save some
bucks whiles being good to the earth at the
same time!
Professor Wangari was born in 1940 in Nye-
ru , Kenya. After receiving a bachelor’s degree
in Biological Science from
Mount St. Scholastica Col-
lege, Kansas, she went on to
earn her master’s degree
from the University of Pitts-
burg in 1966. She would
eventually earn a doctorate
from the University of Nai-
robi where she also taught
veterinary anatomy.
A pioneer in many ways, she was the first
woman to obtain a doctorate in both East and
Central Africa as well as the first woman to
head the Department of Veterinary Anatomy
and become an associate professor. In 1981,
she became the chairman for the National
Council of Women of Kenya and served on it
for six years. She introduced the community-
Wa n g a r i M a a t h i - A n A f r i c a n E n v i r o n m e n t a l P i o n e e r
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based tree planting exercise whiles serving as
chairman. This quickly developed into a “broad-
based grassroots organization” the
Green Belt Movement (GBM) with
the objective of poverty reduction
and environmental conservation
through tree planting. This move-
ment gained international recogni-
tion and contributed to her being the
first African woman to receive the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for "her
contribution to sustainable develop-
ment, democracy and peace."
She went on to serve as the MP for the Tetu Con-
stituency in Kenya and later on as the Assistant
Minister for environment and Natural Resources
from 2003-2007. In 2006, she co-founded the
Nobel Women’s Initiative with her fellow women
laureates to promote the work of women in their
fight for peace, justice and equality. Cont. on pg 2
10 tips for an eco-green lifestyle
In this issue:
The Rwandan Community of
California
2
William Kankwamba–
Determined to Rise
3
A Giant Sweep 3
I Rise 4
Special points of interest:
From The President’s Desk
10 Tips for an eco-green lifestyle
Wangari Maathi– An African Environmental
Pioneer
What Do You Know About Ghana?
1. Always shop on Wednesday at the grocery
stores. That is when they get their fresh pro
duce in.
2. Want get rid of something you don’t need? Have a garage sale. Better still, try communi-ty barter trading sites like Freecycle and Ecoflip.
3. You can also recycle by donating all unwanted items to places like the goodwill.
4. Wash and safe glass jars for handy use as
storage, vases, and food leftover containers.
Continue on page 4
You can only suc-
ceed if you try,
even when the odds
are mightily
against you.
Wa
nga
ri M
aa
thi
2
From The President’s Desk
The trajectory of international economic growth appears to show the strength of Afri-can ingenuity in ‘making something out of nothing’; a testament to what we can do if we put our minds to it. The time has never been more perfect than now, for Africans all
over to begin examining what we already have and using them to achieve unbelievable heights of innovation.
We have done it before and can do it again. However the starting point should be to take ownership of our destiny as a people and work together. This month, I have been consumed by the amazing African spirit of determination throughout history. Oh what a blessing we have as Africans! We fly even when our wings are cut off, we swim when our fins are clipped, and we rise, yes we still rise in the face of insur-mountable hurdles!
President
The Rwandan Community of California
In 2007, she was invited to co-chair the Congo Basin Fund, an
initiative to protect the Congo forests. In 2009, Professor
Wangari was named the UN Messenger of Peace with a focus
on environment and climate change. In 2010, she founded the
Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies
(WMI) with the University of Nairobi, Kenya. “The WMI will
bring together academic research—e.g. in land use, forestry,
agriculture, resource-based conflicts, and peace studies—with
the Green Belt Movement approach and members of the organ-
ization.” (Green Belt Movement). She is the author of four
books: The Green Belt Movement; Unbowed: A Memoir; The
Challenge for Africa; and Replenishing the Earth. Professor
Wangari passed away in September, 2011 from complications
from ovarian cancer.
We salute Professor Wangari for being a trailblazer who paved
the way in environmental conservation and women’s rights. She
sets an exemplary model that we seek to emulate and that con-
tinually inspires us to strive to protect our natural environment,
even in our quest for development. Her call to action still ech-
oes in our hearts, “We cannot tire or give up. We owe it to the
present and future generations of all species to rise up and
walk!”
Our strength lies in our zeal to not wait for the government to
answer all our needs and solve every problem but to rise up and
do our part in restoring our nations and Africa.
The Rwandan community have been part of the African communi-
ty in Sacramento and Bay Area for several years through Friends of
Rwanda Association (FORA). The purpose of FORA was to bring
individuals together to support victims of the 1994 genocide. This
week, a new organization was launched purposely to create a sup-
port base for Rwandans in the diaspora to have a more direct con-
nection to the homeland and to create an avenue for the people to
invest in the development of Rwanda. This new diaspora organiza-
tion is known as The Rwandan Community
of California (TRCC).
The journey of Rwanda has been a long
one…One that many probably know al-
ready: the demise of the genocide! But like a
phoenix, the Rwandan spirit has risen from
ashes to glory, risen above the hurdles, risen
above the road blocks, risen to move the
agenda of unity and prosperity. The objec-
tive to move the African agenda cannot be
fully accomplished without her sons and
daughters, both home and abroad, working together.
In this respect, TRCC is a
vital part of the determina-
tion to continue building
Rwanda. One important
goal of TRCC is to push
the agacirro fund initiative
and to provide some of the
resources needed to fund
the development of Rwanda. Under the leadership of Yeho Mban-
gukira, the Chairman of TRCC, the Rwandan Community in Sac-
ramento and the Bay Area has answered the call to support the
homeland through their commitment (both financially and in spir-
it).
TRCC is working with the
African community at large
and is now the newest mem-
ber of the Organization of
African Leaders in the Diaspo-
ra (OALD) in Sacramento.
Congratulations TRCC!
Yehoyada Mbangukira
Chairman of TRCC
The fabulous Rwandan Dancers
Young Rwandan ladies
3
A GA GA GIANTIANTIANT SSSWEEPWEEPWEEP
W i l l i a m K a n k w a m b a– D e t e r m i n e d t o R i s e
Since then, he has built a solar-powered water pump that supplies the first drinking water in his village and two other windmills (the tallest standing at 39 feet) and is planning two more, including one in Lilongwe, the political capital of Malawi. William Kamkwamba exemplifies African innovation and excellence.
His commitment and deter-
mination to rise above his
challenges and build a bridge
of hope for his community is
a true representation of the
essence of Africa. Africa is
a continent of hope with
nations of believers and in-
novators who are willing
and ready to solve their na-
tions environmental crisis.
His commitment and determination to rise above his challenges
and build a bridge of hope for his community is a true representa-
tion of the essence of Africa. Africa is a continent of hope with
nations of believers and innovators who are willing and ready to
solve their nations environmental crisis.
With determinations, Africa can and will rise, one bit at a time!
Being a two-time champion is pretty impressive. Being an en-
vironmentally-conscious champion is the reason why the San
Francisco Giants have won our utmost respect. Following
their 2012 win over the Detroit Tigers, they went on to part-
ner with the mayor of San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee, to launch
an environmental campaign to help rid the City of its filth.
It is indeed a paradox that San Francisco, one of the most fa-
mous cities in the United States and one of the most pictur-
esque could also be named as the 12th dirtiest city in the states
in the 2011 Travel + Leisure magazine. Haunted by years of
failed efforts to clean it up, San Francisco gladly welcomes the
helping hand in cleaning up its mess. This new campaign taken
by the SF Giants is the third attempt by the city to clean its
22,000 tons of garbage on average. The program hopes to use
inspirational leaders like outfielder Hunter Pence, to motivate
children about keeping their environment clean. "My obser-
vations have been that the kids in the whole school system,
they connect with sports as an inspiration," Lee said. "If the Giants can have a clean sweep, why can't we?" Mayor Lee acknowledges the difficulty in changing behaviors but is optimistic about the to-day’s children who are more involved in community events and already have a leg up on the green revolution. The campaign has already made scheduled stops at the Civic Center, Tenderloin dis-
trict and SoMa .
This campaign effort is admirable and one that ought to be emulated the world over. What better way to in-spire kids to do the right thing than to pair them up with their heroes? Time and again, the importance of involv-ing children in social change is brought to the fore. Trans-Atlantic Environmental Inc. (TAE) is cur-rently working on a similar campaign to raise environmental awareness in Ghana. Continue on page 4
There's an African Proverb that says, in the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams. In the twenty-first century Africans are building bridges creating concrete solutions to the environmental crisis that are affecting the coun-tries, the communities and the homes. Africans are becoming more self-sufficient and empowered with innovative ideas to help build Africa , like William Kamkwamba a Malawi born inventor and author. When he was 14, he built an electricity producing windmill from spare bicycle parts, blue gum and materials from local scrap to help feed his family. William Kamwamba lived as a simple farmer in an area of poor farmers, in time a when Malawi was experiencing famine. The famine had forced William to drop-out of sec-ondary school because his parents could not afford tui-tion. William Kamkwamba saw the hunger crisis that he and his family were experiencing with a result that he was not will-ing to accept. Undeterred, William studied science books from the library and learns how to build a windmill to power his family home. The determination to make a difference strengthened his resolve to change their condition for the bet-ter. And with what he already had...which was broken bicycle parts etc!
William Kamkwamba - The boy who rose
Community Clean Team at work
4
Harinder Dhillon
916-607-0533
You may write me down in history; With your bitter, twisted
lies; You may trod me in the very dirt; But still, like dust, I'll
rise. Out of the huts of history's shame.
I rise! Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise! I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide; Leaving behind nights
of terror and fear; I rise! Into a daybreak that's wondrously
clear; I rise! Snippets of A poem by Maya Angelou
Simple Arrangements by Ivy
Call 916-690-2328 Order your fruit trays today
A GIANT SWEEP: Continued from page 3
In partnership locally-based nonprofits like Kids Against Waste,
TAE seeks to carry out this mandate of training future leaders to be
environmentally conscious through educational campaigns and
events. By educating our kids at an early age and empowering them
to make the right choices, we instill in them excellent living skills
that eventually transform their society. TAE hopes to continue to
implement such transformative programs with your continued sup-
port.
8. Buy vintage everything. From electronics to furniture to fashion,
vintage is the most eco-friendly choice you can make. And it’s
chic!
9. Use old t-shirts for yard work and vehicle cleaning tasks. Try to
find a use for everything you’d normally throw away. Unleash
your creativity! There are dozens of things you can reuse.
10. Are you a garner? Yogurt containers can be turned into herb
planters. Do you need to get rid of clutter ? Shoe boxes are ex-
cellent file storages.
So there it is! Why don’t you hit us up on facebook (Trans-Atlantic
Environmental) or twitter (@TAEnvironmental) and share your eco
-green tips with us?
Good Fortune Catering
"United by food, kept by the taste."
For consultation, please call
Lesego Musopyoe
(916) 248-9932
Lmusopyoe@ Hotmail.com
I R i s e
Continued from pg. 1: 10 tips
5. But if you choose not to, then please recycle all glass,
metal, plastics , electronics and batteries and papers.
6. Look for ways to go digital to reduce waste: books, maga-
zines, music, and movies.
7. Wait, save and buy that higher quality coat or dress in
seasonal cycles that will last you a lifetime instead of buy-
ing a whole bunch of cheap ones that will fade away and
shrink after one wash and then be tossed aside forever.
Trust me, it will be well worth the money.
5
C
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We continue to bring you Ghana through the festivals celebrated by the different ethnic groups. One way of know the people is through their culture. So far we have brought you Aboakyere from the peo-ple of Winneba, and Agbamevoza (Kente festival) from Agotome traditional area in the Volta region. In this edition, we bring you the Akwambo festival from Central region of Ghana. AKWAMBO FESTIVAL The Akwambo festival is celebrated by the chiefs and peoples of Agona Nyakrom and Agona Swedru in the Central region of Ghana. The festival is celebrated in the month of August every year to give thanks to the ancestors for a blessed year and to request for another blessed and fruitful year. The name akwambo means “path –clearing”. The festival The Asafo companies clear footpaths leading to the streams or rivers, farms and other communal places, as well as paths leading to the shrines. The following day, the whole community assembles at the an-cestral shrines and the chief pours libation to the ancestral spirits to thank them for their protection during the previous year and then request for more blessing, abundant rain-fall and good harvest for the ensuing year. At the stream or riverside where some of the sacrifices are offered, alligators and other species of fish come out to enjoy the mashed yams sprinkled on the water. With their bodies smeared with clay, the people then parade with twigs and tree branches through the town in groups amidst drum-ming, dancing and firing of musketry. In a procession, they go through the principal routes and then to the durbar ground to meet the chief and his elders. There is a vigil kept at night and patronized mainly by the youth. It is a time when people come together to renew family and social ties. Performing groups, which are dormant are revitalized and new groups initiated. Akwambo is celebrated by most of the traditional Fante groups in the
wHAT dO yOU kNOW aBOUT gHANA…?
‘Fancy’ dancers
at akwambo festivi
ties
Young boy playing traditional musical instrument
Central region. Traditional groups such the people of Enyan
Abaasa, Agona Nyarkrom, Ekumfi and many others celebrate
their Akwambo festivities at different times but mostly with-
in the month of August. It was first observed by the migrant
ancestors of these people, whose primary task when
they arrived in a new place was clearing
paths to the rivers and other wa-
tering places. A day was
set aside for this pur-
pose, and for clearing
the paths leading to
farms and other
communal places
as well. Every-
one who used
these routes
was expected to at-
tend and help in the work or
contribute financially.
In some places, path clearing is no longer necessary
because there are paved roads. But the festival is still ob-
served, especially at Agona Nkum, where it is part of a week-
long celebration.
6
Fhhhh
TAE is a 501 (C)(3) non-profit
organization committed to im-
proving the environment
through the production of re-
useable energy, reduction of
waste related illnesses in devel-
oping countries, and helping
those countries to establish
sustainable economic develop-
ment.
All donations are tax deductible
to the extent allowed by U.S.
law.
Find us at
YUSOL INTERNATIONAL FOODS
Office:
Business Central
3550 Watt Avenue, Suite 206
Sacramento, CA 95821
Mailing:
9758 Horned Lark Way
Elk Grove, CA 95757
925-709-4823 (4TAE)
Visit us @
www.taenvironmental.com
trans-atlantic
environmental,
inc
A f r i c a n c o r n e r
Re-energizing Africa,
One nation at a time.
Donate
To Donate, go to
www.taenvironmental.com/
donations.html
or call
925-709-4823
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