Save the Wetlands march

This morning (written June 27)- I was invited to go to an event for World Environment Day. I was to meet with students who were to begin marching at 8-8:30, then to a big ceremony full of presentations by students (songs/ skits etc) and speeches. Knowing full well this would be on African time, I thought I would leave ICM at 8am and would be safe not to be late. But, I was a bit dozy this morning, and moved slower, and talked with a few people, including a lecturer here who is a pastor in Eldoret, and shares my passion for Creation Care .

I ended up leaving at 9am. I rode a boda-boda, and once we reached ViAF I realised the students were not there (they were supposed to start from there). So, thinking I was understandably a bit late, I asked the boda driver to continue to where I knew the next rallying point would be. I got there around 9:30, and there were some students there, some girl guides and boy scouts, as well as a marching band from the local Sally Ann church!

But, they weren't really moving anywhere. It turns out they were still accumulating. They weren't starting from town after all. Some students planted seedlings along the side of the road, supplied by Vi Agroforestry. Lots of fun, but I'm afraid it was more for practice than practicality- they planted them in corn fields and among weeds at the side of the road... I doubt they will actually grow.

I went with my friend Sellah, the manager of the M&E office, in the ViAF land rover, to collect some more students from a local girls school. Nice grounds! Maintained in part by the school's environment club.
I finally got to walk with the students when they started their parade by 10/10:15. We walked for about 5-6km in the HOT sun. The band played throughout, there were maybe 2-300 students, with different ones that joined at different points. Again, not much organisation. BUT, there was a really cool guy who could do tricks with that baton thing at the front of the marching band. And a police guy came with us for a bit and made us stop so cars could go by, and then we made all the cars stop- in both directions (somehow..) as we marched on by.

Small kids also joined in for the walk, from the sidelines... small ones with no parents in sight! Many walked all the way with us... I wonder if their parents had any idea where they went all morning, alongside a busy highway.

Since I won't be able to celebrate Canada Day here, this felt like a good stand-in for the Canada Day parade I usually go to.