SI NEWS 2006 eng Travel Report Africa
From SI Exco News
Reduce speed-Botswana
Dorothee Krezmar and Kurt Beutler have just been here for four nights staying in our Okavango House, but sharing meals with us and watching a German DVD.
They were able to be the first Servas travellers to stay with new hosts that enrolled in Servas in February this year at places in central Botswana: Letlhakane and Serowe. They are originally from Germany and Switzerland but joined Servas in New Zealand two years ago.
We wish for more travellers to visit Botswana. For the Servas Newsletter the following could be added from their statement:
“We are peace cyclists going around the world over the last eight years and Botswana is our 38th country. We started in Switzerland where we lived and worked (biologist and electrician) before setting out through Europe, Middle East, East Asia, India, China, South East Asia, North America, Central America, New Zealand and Australia. Wherever possible we go by bicycle and do not take public transport. We like cycling very much and we think that it is the best way to travel. One of our purposes is to meet people from different countries, religions and cultures. We have made friends all over the world. We also like nature, hiking and the outdoor life.”
They plan to visit Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, and then north to Malawi and East Africa. They may take a year to get to Cairo. They do between 50 and 100 km a day. Thus their slogan “Reduce speed”.
In peace, Sheldon Servas BOTSWANA—Sheldon and Gudrun Weeks
Malawi,“the warm heart of Africa”!
Considering the warm welcome from all the SERVAS members we met during our trip, Malawi is definitely “the warm heart of Africa”!
We were lucky to be able to take part in the 10th Servas Malawi meeting, one of Ben’s salsa classes, to visit a school and 2 orphanages, singing with the children, to fly to Mount Mulanje and to hike in this marvellous area with Masayo, a young Japanese woman, and Demelza carrying and feeding her adorable 3 month old baby. It was very special to stay in the hut up there, at 2000 metres of altitude, watching the stars at night before sleeping in front of the fireplace… It was so quiet until some eagles walking on the roof woke us up in the morning!
It has also been a treat to share a few days with George who drove us safely to Liwonde Park and to Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi, trying to avoid the many holes on the roads, but not the cobra which was crossing in front of our car! We stayed at Mvuu Lodge, a nice, comfortable place with a beautiful view on River Shire, especially at sunset. We had never seen so many hippos! One of them even stepped on a pipe next to our chalet so that there was no water left in the shower ☺.
We are very grateful to our hosts (Marcel & Caroline, Silverio & Jane, Marco & Edith and all their children), Demelza, Ben, George, Mary, and all the other people we met, for the wonderful time we spent in Malawi thanks to them.
Myriam MICHEL, Reunion and Delphine HARTER
Ups and downs in West Africa.
Teresa Mazzella from Rome visited Gambia and Senegal. She had varying experiences with Servas in these countries. She is concerned that in some countries there is perhaps more help needed to run Servas effectively. Here are some extracts from her report.
I went to Gambia for a week but with the intention to remain longer. I was there for a month but I could not see any list. The Senegalese secretary has been more efficient. He has an email address but he has no computer and he has no money to use the public one. He has no money even for a telephone call so he had the last century list with dead members. I organized a Servas meeting in his house where I was hosted for a few days. He seemed very happy to be helped. Now he has a list of about 70 members even if many of them are in his village, 15 km from Dakar. Now he goes round with a Servas folder looking for someone who can help him to print the list and send it to the main countries.
I think this is the situation of many western African countries The secretaries have a lack of personal experiences, of money, of advice, which weakens their enthusiasm and so undermines the Servas project and aim. They don't pay anything to be in the list (some of them even didn't know they were in the list) They have no travellers (which would be the only income) they have no explanatory material and of course no budget to face a minimum form of organization. What can we do, to help them? Even if they can't afford long trips they can visit nearby countries, learn from others, get new energies and create peace team back home.
Some simple ideas:
1) Send them explanatory material (simple English and French pamphlets to hand out in Universities, Embassy, cultural centre etc
2) Give secretaries, who show a "real" efficiency, a bonus
3) Support them with ideas, advice, suggestions without abuse
4) Ask for up to date lists and check them (There are 10 members in the list and one bed)
5) You can talk about this in your national newsletters and at meetings
These are just a few ideas. I'm sure there are many more.
