Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Online Reporter
A TEACHER cum environmentalist from Victoria Falls has started a fundraising solo walk from Victoria Falls to Matopo National Park in Matabeleland South to raise awareness on climate change effects as well as raise funds for conservation.
Mr Nqobile Mkwananzi started the More Knowledge With Action (MKWA) initiative to raise awareness on climate change through eco-environment clubs, debate, and public speaking in Schools in and around Victoria Falls.
He also initiated the FUND MKWA drive where he is also soliciting for funds for the cause.
Mr Mkwananzi set off from Victoria Falls on 8 September and intends to reach Matopos National Park on 22 September, the International Rhino Day, when the sponsored walk will end.
He arrived in Lupane on Saturday and set off this morning to continue with the walk to Bulawayo after resting.
Along the way he is interacting with pupils from schools, motorists, communities and organisations.
The walk involves sensitizing people against throwing liter anywhere besides in bins especially out of moving vehicles.
He spends nights at schools and police stations.
In Lupane he had a brief clean up exercise with officers from Environmental Management Agency and Lupane Local Board.
“I am doing a fundraising walk from Victoria Falls to Matopos National Park from 8 September to 22 September to raise awareness against poaching, littering and veld fires and raise money for conservation education through debate, public speaking and environment clubs.
“My wish is to scale up the programme and conscientise learners and communities about community based natural resource management hence the need to mobilise finances to run the projects next year. The fundraising rhino walk seek to mobilise resources towards empowering learners on the importance of community based natural resources management through environmental/eco clubs as well as debate and public speaking clubs to amplify voices and action towards biodiversity preservation in line with the Paris Agreement as we commemorate World Rhino day,” said Mr Mkwananzi.
World Rhino Day is celebrated annually on 22 September.
He said he wishes to cover the whole of Hwange district before scaling up to the province hence formation of the GO Fund MKWA initiative.
Mr Mkwa has been an environmentalist and nature lover for years.
He was born in Filabusi, Insiza district and trained as a teacher. He said he fell in love with nature as a young herd boy in his rural home.
“When I left teaching in 2011 I started helping school to teach conservation in Bulawayo. I rejoined teaching and was posted in Hwange when I scaled up activities to conserve nature and I had a walk from Bulawayo to Solusi University picking liter along the way especially after Seventh Day Adventist Church camp meetings as I would collect recyclables.
In 2016 I had a solo walk from Matopos to Victoria Falls and along the way met Kenyan environmentalist Jim Justus Nyamu who was walking across the continent. I found the niche in that most people lack knowledge about environment conservation,” he said.
-@ncubeleon
Online Reporter