It has been
four and a half years, 10,457Km (6498 Miles) since I started walking for
elephants and it feels like I just started. The question most people ask is,
why walk for elephants and for all those miles and for years?
Last month, I
completed my 13th edition of Ivory Belongs to Elephants Walk in
Marsabit from Nairobi covering a distance of 617Km in 32 days. I did what I do
best which is walking and talking to well organized groups of people from town
to town, along the planned walk route, engaging them in the need to protect our
elephants and wildlife at large, enlightening them on the wildlife laws that
would be of help to them and getting feedback on how to better co-exist with wildlife
from their point of view.
I started
this initiative in 2013 after realizing how ignorant Kenyans were about the
dwindling numbers of our largest land mammal, which is a great icon in Kenya’s
tourism business. They say knowledge is power. I had the information that
grassroots community in Kenya and Africa at large desperately needed (and still
need) to be able to participate in conservation. My first walk was from Mombasa
to Nairobi where I covered a distance of 500Km in 14 days with minimal support
since many people and organizations had not understood what exactly I was
doing. Interestingly enough, the walk campaign greatly benefitted Kenya
Wildlife Service (KWS) but they did not support me as I expected in my first
walk. I am glad to say this changed for the better in the subsequent walks.
In my most
recent walk I highlighted Ahmed of Marsabit, who remains the most famous Kenyan
Jumbo due to its long and beautiful tusks. Ahmed was put under 24/7 protections
under presidential decree by the first president of Kenya. This goes to show
how important our elephants are in this nation, a fact that has to be repeated
on and on for people to change their attitudes towards wildlife. The focus was
on promoting Ahmed’s legacy and using it to promote Marsabit as a tourists’
destination. The remains of Ahmed are in the National Museums of Kenya
alongside a replica of the same. I was
impressed by communities who have established wildlife conservancies and I
encouraged them to keep up the good work because our wildlife’s future entirely
depends on communities’ goodwill since 70% of the wildlife in Kenya lives
outside the protected areas. It is therefore mandatory to note that KWS cannot
protect our heritage alone as at times it is out of their reach, we as
community need to support the rangers.
Walking is
not easy. It’s even harder when it’s done for a cause. During Nairobi-Marsabit
walk, I had a myriad of challenges; some were anticipated but others I’d say I
had underrated. To start with, our cause was blessed on the first day with
rains as we completed the first leg. We were therefore prepared for rains and
definitely cautious for our health. When it rains, I need to continue walking
as the cause runs on a timeline and we are expected ahead as planned. Sometimes
this becomes a challenge especially when I have a large group of people walking
with me. Often my one or two hired vehicles are not enough to offer shelter to
all. It is heartbreaking for me when they all look up to me when I barely have
enough raincoats to share.
We approached
Mt. Kenya region from Nanyuki all the way to Subuiga and very cold weather. Keep
in mind that when you are walking for a cause and you must wear branded T-shirt
that did not provide an adequate layer against the cold. The low morning temperatures exposed my team to
the threat of the flu and pneumonia. We thank God we pulled through just fine.
On the same stretch my knees also suffered. The terrain from Timau to Subuiga and
all the way down to Meru was so steep and the downhill descent put a lot of
pressure on my knees. By the time we were getting to Meru, my leg muscles were
worn out and I experienced painful muscle cramps. When we got to Isiolo, I had
to get a knee support especially for my right knee.
From Bad to
Worse
The journey from
Isiolo was characterized by extreme daytime temperatures that were direct
contrast from what we experienced in the Mt. Kenya region. My knee support was
tight and uncomfortable and in combination with the heat made the walk became
unbearable. My breathing was labored as we encountered crosswinds, which would stir
up dust from roadside. We would be hit by blasts of hot air and once in a while
cool air. The newly tarmacked Nairobi-Moyale road was a blistering walkway, reflecting
back the heat from the scorching sun. It felt like we were slowly roasting in
an oven. I experienced severe headaches and reddened eyes for days. We endured
temperature highs of 34 degrees Celsius at an emerging center where we camped
for two nights called Sere Olipi and also at Merille, a trading center which is
the gateway to Marsabit County.
I must say our
bodies are magical. I had never experienced these kinds of temperatures before
but with time, the body adapted to the harsh temperatures and I could walk just
fine even though my T shirt would be soaked wet in sweat. The weather fluctuated
from hot to cold at Loglogo. The body had to readjust and I even realized I
barely remembered to take water since my system did not demand hydration.
Nonetheless,
challenges are meant to be overcome. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, the
ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comforts and
convenience but at times where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
I strive propelled by motivation for the cause knowing that by overcoming the
challenges, the walk becomes meaningful.
Basically,
every walk has its unique challenges but a common challenge I experience across
all walks is the logistics of planning for the journey. I usually have to be
present in all the planning meetings. By the time I begin the walk, I am
usually fatigued and overwhelmed by the countless engagements that planning
demands. I have since learnt to delegate
some duties, though in most cases I have to attend to them in person.
Over time I
have come to learn that it is imperative to walk with people full of positive
energy, people who are jovial, who create fun, make me dance along to the music
as I walk and divert my attention from exhaustion and worries. I have firsthand
experience of how the groups of people you have really do affect you mentally,
physically and psychologically. I would especially give credit to my Rwandese
friend Nkurunziza wa Nkurunziza, who joined me during the East Africa Walk in
2016 and also walked with me from Isiolo to Marsabit. Walking with Nkurunziza and his kind
re-energizes me and before I know it, I am engaged in my next community meeting
or the destination for the day.
I commend the
company I had during the Nairobi-Marsabit Walk. I was caught with a smile on my
face in some exceptional photos captured by one energetic guy called Kizito. I
must reiterate the importance of walking with the right team. This is an
important consideration I have learned over four years of walking and there
have been occasions when I nearly terminated a walk before completion or sent
the entire team back home to walk alone.
Finances are
also a critical component to the success of any walk. One major need that cuts
across all the walks is constant presence of a vehicle from the first to the
last day of walk. I must have a truck that carries camping gear, foodstuff for
my crew and a public address system. Occasionally, I need a vehicle for advance
assignments as well. I therefore I fundraise
while am walking in collaboration with my communications person to cater for
the needs of my crew during the walk especially in the areas of mobility and
meals.
There are
some days that I appear unhappy, bored or worn out, but it’s just that my mind
is usually preoccupied by pressing logistical matters. I believe acquiring my
own vehicle is an urgent need that will help the cause a great deal as the cost
of hiring and fueling makes a big dent in our operational budget. During the
East Africa Walk, at Fort Portal Uganda we didn’t have a vehicle for three
consecutive days and we could not walk. Evidently, it is next to impractical to
put on our luggage on our backs and walk for the distance. This is only
practical in mountain climbing.
Sometimes these
preoccupations distract me from paying attention to my basic needs such as
staying hydrated. At times like this it is useful to have an assistant to
remind me to drink water and other energy drinks. Without this I normally
suffer from headaches further fueled by air pollution from vehicles plying busy
highways. Air pollution is a health risk that can lead to respiratory and heart
conditions and I therefore do not take it lightly. I have thought of practical ways
to deal with this challenge as I find using dust masks quite cumbersome.
Having a proper
pair of walking shoes has been of great help especially to prevent blisters. During
my Marsabit walk I was completely blister free unlike on previous occasion when
I had invested in proper walking shoes. I will need to acquire a new pair for
my next walk in Uganda since my last pair were worn after the Marsabit stretch.
Why do I
continue walking despite all these challenges?
Here’s the
thing, I focus on the bigger picture. Like I had mentioned earlier, I started
walking after seeing the high level of ignorance amongst our communities whose
roles are vital in protecting our elephants. I consider what I have done so far
to be in the past and I have more to do ahead of me. Even with the attendant
risks, I enjoy my job.
Provoking
peoples thinking and changing their attitude is not a walk in the park; it
takes time and consistency to get the results. The long term approach for this
cause is targeting the youth and young children especially those in primary
school which is exactly what we are doing. I believe if we inculcate a culture
of conservation in them, it will become their way of life and adopting a
conservation mindset would be second nature.
What they
need is the knowledge of how valuable wildlife is, how to mitigate
human-wildlife conflicts and most especially how to benefit from wildlife. It is unfortunate that the bias that we
normally have towards wildlife is from inherited attitudes that labelled
certain animals as bad. All animals have
their ecological importance and we just need to learn how to live with them.
The Almighty did not make a mistake in creating any of them.
I attract
thousands of people across the world especially through social media who give
their support by all means. I have also received goodwill support from the
Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources
and that of Interior and Coordination of National Government.
I have had
substantial support from the First Lady of the Republic especially during the
East Africa Walk where she flagged me off at KICC. I acknowledge the support of
the security organs in Kenya as well as they have walked with me especially through
areas considered risky to ensure safety for my team and I easing the cause. I must say that the demand for this knowledge
is higher than the supply. The communities that I talk to along the way, governments
and certain institutions are craving for this information. During the
Nairobi-Marsabit walk, I realized the Marsabit county government was very
receptive, supportive and eager to learn.
When I
started this walk, I had clear objectives that have evolved to keep up with knowledge
gathered or new laws that affect or relate to the cause. My messaging approach
to communities is customized to their way of life and level of understanding to
enable the message to be effective. For instance, I get to show them the
aesthetical value of elephants by having them express how they feel after
seeing the elephants. Take for instance the SGR which was recently launched by
the President that has passengers excited about seeing elephants at Tsavo while
onboard.
Elephants are
magnificent animals with exceptional beauty. They are also the world’s largest
mammals. As an eye opener, I encourage people in fringe communities to learn more
about elephants and act as tour guides and in return they will be able to reap
some earnings. I also give them clues of
minimizing human-wildlife conflict and by maintaining a safe distance from them.
We are all
responsible for our wildlife and they are beneficial to all of us as global
citizens. We should be all custodians of
our wildlife. The rangers and institutions mandated to protect them are simply
the first line of defense watching over our wildlife.
I believe if
we all changed our attitude towards wildlife, it would be very easy to ensure
their survival and to mitigate human wildlife conflict which has become the
next major threat for elephants after poaching.
We must come
together, walk together and talk to each other!
#IvoryBelongstoElephants!!
Drop Mic!
Jim Justus Nyamu- Elephant Man
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