2018 FOTE walkathon a huge success
EDITOR – The 2018 edition of the Friends of the Environment (FOTE) walkathon took us to Mat North province, where we covered a distance of 154km over four days. Throughout the course of the walkathon, we walked, camped and planted trees, 120 000 of them breaking previous records in the process.
The final and fifth day of the excursion’s highlight was the unveiling of Siabuwa High School tree seedling nursery which we established with funding from Old Mutual Zimbabwe.
Since the establishment of FOTE and the start of our annual walkathons in 2010, our ambition of planting 500 million trees by 2026 looks increasingly possible with each passing year as we have accomplished significant milestones.
We have established 26 tree seedling nurseries around the country, with the support of corporate Zimbabwe, among them Old Mutual Zimbabwe, OK Zimbabwe Ltd, Zimplats, Mimosa Mining Company, Bain Iveco, Standard Chartered Bank, Turnall, Sable Chemicals Ltd, Lafarge and Nyaradzo.
Over the past nine years we have been walking for the environment, we have covered a distance of more than 1 500km. With each walk, our mission has been clear and consistent, encouraging communities to plant trees, as well as raising awareness to the dangers we face as a planet if we continue to cut down more trees than we plant.
The 2018 walkathon covered two of Mat North’s districts, Hwange and Binga, bringing with it several challenges and opportunities that made it distinct in its own way. Firstly, logistically, the transportation of walkers and equipment looked insurmountable as most of our walkers and equipment would have to cross the country from Harare to Cross-Dete.
In addition to logistics, the timing of the walk being at the end of November, meant that the weather would be challenging given the heat in both districts, coupled with buzzing mosquitoes found in the low lying areas of the Zambezi.
Despite all this, when Old Mutual, our anchor sponsor for the 2018 edition insisted that we walk to Binga, we knew we had to rise to the occasion and adequately plan for it.
Now that the task has been successfully accomplished, we look back and ask how we were able to do it:
◆ Firstly, it was the support we got from all the sponsors and partners, a big thank you to you all.
◆ Secondly, our hosts who accommodated us on
the journey, Marist and Binga High Schools. ◆ Third the +300 faithful walkers, who defied the odds walking the harsh terrain of Binga in the heat, while bearing the risk of contracting malaria from mosquito bites made it happen. ◆ Lastly, the supportive communities of Mat North province, made a big difference. Never have we experienced such a hospitable walking environment, thus making it truly memorable. When we established the Siabuwa High School tree seedling nursery the thought of a preceding walkathon was very far from our minds, we imagined the unveiling would be a day’s event and we are done. Little did we know that Old Mutual our anchor sponsor would insist on a fully fledged walkathon.
In retrospect, it was an amazing and worthwhile adventure that set the bar for future walkathon very high.
Thank you once again to Old Mutual for challenging us and insisting on a fully fledged walkathon, Binga is in the bag!
A big thank you also to the dedicated walkers who walk to raise awareness about our environment year in year out.
To add on to the highlights of this walkathon was the tourism we experienced. Walkers had an opportunity to interact with the local Tonga community, demystifying a lot of myths about our Northern cousins. A few walkers had the unique opportunity to visit the Binga hot springs and the sandy beaches of Binga.We are already in the mood of planning for the 2019 edition which marks our 10th anniversary and I know most walkers cannot wait, our valued sponsors too.
Tree today, forest tomorrow.
Muti nhasi, sango mangwana.
Isihlahla namuhla, igusu kusasa Musamu sunu, lusaka junza.
By Phillip Mataranyika CEO Nyaradzo Group.