Walk for the Environment
On Saturday the 30th of July, our Malawi team walked the 56km from Zomba to Blantyre to campaign and fundraise for tree planting and the building of fuel-efficient stoves. The walk was titled "A Walk for the Environment".Read their story below
At 1am we arose bleary eyed to the sound of our alarms, after an evening charged with the excitement of the day that lay ahead. We began by preparing some snacks, vital for the challenge that awaited us, and drove to our starting point; a place named 6 miles due to its proximity from Zomba.
We waited as the walkers assembled, including members of our Songani team, Stove Team and our Hope Ambassadors. We were accompanied by a member of the local media and were to be met by a police officer, there to provide security for a section of the walk. As the walk was to take place along the main road, with the road still open to drivers, we were grateful to have the backing and support of the police.
At 3:10 am, in the pitch black, we finally set of with our three support vehicles in tow. The excitement was palpable, as many had not undertaken a challenge like this before. For three hours we walked with only the headlights and hazard lights of our support vehicles paving the way, until to our relief the sun began to rise, giving us a huge boost and a sense of encouragement.
However, disaster struck. As we stopped for a well-earned drink and bread bun, we noticed that one of the support vehicles had developed a flat tyre. In many countries this would mean jacking up the car, removing the flat tyre and putting on the spare. But this isn’t any country. In Malawi help is never far away and before we knew it the punctured tyre had been repaired and we were back on the road again.
The early morning temperature and cool breeze comforted us on our walk and before long we were closer to the finish than the start. The group was full of energy, with uplifting music pumping from the support vehicles and lively chatter distracting us from the emerging ache in our legs. Whilst those who were nursing injuries or needed a break, used the minibus for some well earnt respite, others chose to dance their way to our finish in Blantyre, lifting everyone spirits in the process. As we passed factories on the outskirts of Blantyre, local workers were quick to cheer us on and share their sugarcane with us, acknowledging the challenge we were undertaking and encouraging us on.
Soon we were entering the city of Blantyre, Malawi’s financial capital. Holding our banner high, we walked and danced through the city streets. Everyone took turns holding up the banner, helping to spread our cause and attract encouragement, and before we knew it we had arrived at our final destination.
The team tired but jubilant at the end of their fundraising walk