Durban, South Africa – The African group of negotiators expressed their frustration over countries backing

Mr. Dorsouma_ADB

“We don’t understand Canada and Japan’s position,” said Seyni Nafo, Spokes man for the African group and lead negotiator on Mitigation Thursday morning.

“The two are key allies of African countries in development. But this is war on terror which is Climate change. We are frustrated and do not understand why our allies are not joining us.”

“This isn’t development assistance, historical responsibility and a legally binding engagement. It is up to these countries to meet obligation.”

After a week of negotiation on climate change negotiating parties who are sitting in Durban, South Africa are still far apart to come to any agreement on main agendas of the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol and financing developing nations.

Delegates are saying it is unlikely to come out with any legally binding agreement in Durban and the only outcome they expect is an outline that will take the negotiation to the next step.

Africa on the other hand is pushing harder to assure green climate fund is secured in Durban as developing countries have failed to secure the first start up money out of the 100billion USD promised two years ago in Copenhagen to help developing countries fight climate change.

George Mualama_COMESA

Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, Principal Climate Change Specialist of African Development Bank (ADB) and says many countries didn’t meet their pledges to assure the first start up money out of 30 billion they were supposed to give until 2012. “This must be addressed in Durban.”

The accord expected isn’t only for agreement on the financing, but also on clarity for where the money is going to come from and how countries can access it.

From the already existing climate fund given by developed countries, Africa accessed only 12% of the Bilateral fund and only 4% of the multilateral which shows countries have very minimum access to the money.

Mr. Dorsouma say Senegal is the only country to actually put hand on the money and South Africa, which is the top polluter country in Africa, is accredited to access the money.

“The biggest problem here is that there is no clear indication of climate change funds and ODA [Overseas Development Assistance],” Mr. Dorsouma explains.

African Development Bank is designing a way for African countries be able to access the African share of Green climate fund after it was requested in Cancun last year. The Bank has formed a special team for Africa Green Fund for Adaptation and Mitigation that specially works on the way countries access the money.

I have taken a long drive before – but not in a large group and definitely not for more than 30 hours. So when

The caravan team before leaving Nairobi

I heard the trip I was going to take was around 4500km, I couldn’t imagine what the trip would be like.

Our long journey was officially announced as the clock ticked to November 1, 2011. There was160 of us gathered in Multi Media University of Nairobi, Kenya. We all came from different parts of Africa, United States, Canada, Norway and United Kingdom. Five of us were journalists, but the rest were musicians and youth activists. Most of us met for the first time but we knew we came together for one cause: to be part of a caravan that was to set off from Nairobi all the way to Durban campaigning on issues of climate change.

The initiative that brought all of us together was led by Kenyan Youth Climate Network in collaboration with Norwegian Church Aid. The idea was born after the COP 15 Climate Change conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. World leaders had met by then to make decision on a matter that affect lives of millions of people. The objective was to extend the life of the ‘Kyoto Protocol’ that compels industrialized countries cut emission of greenhouse gases that are the chief contributor to global warming.

At this conference, discussions were held on how rich industrialized nations should compensate developing countries which were suffering from the effects of climate change, even though these poor countries contributed almost nothing to global warming. The conference sought for ways in which they could reach on a fair and legally binding agreement that would make all countries accountable for their actions which contributed to global warming.

However, the Copenhagen meeting ended without any agreement and the world remained disappointed.

“The negotiation in Copenhagen was based on the politics and economic position countries hold in the world. There was no human aspect into it,” says program coordinator of the Caravan, David Wainaina Kuria.

The leaders met again last year in Cancun, Mexico. This time the meeting was more focused on gathering what failed in Copenhagen and laying a foundation for the Durban meeting this year.

Now after two years the leaders are meeting again in Durban, South Africa. Kyoto protocol that was ratified in 1997 in Kyoto has only few months left before it phases out in 2012. When that happens countries will have no binding rule that commits them to save the world and unless leaders come to some kind of conclusion in South Africa, a time will come when it will be late to save the world from the disastrous effects of global warming.

That is why the world youth decided to come together and raise their voice to tell their leaders it is now time for action.

“Through this Caravan we want to send a message to our leaders that we have faith in them to reach on a clear binding agreement to set an emission target and to finance Africa cope with Climate change,” David says.

On the eve of the group’s departure for the long awaited trip on 7th of November 2011, the group put a kickoff concert in Nairobi. The concert was one of the tools the caravan uses to reach out on communities they pass through in order to pass the main message they are carrying, ‘We have faith. Act now for climate justice.’

Artist Juliani

“How can we dance when our earth is turning, how can we sleep when our beds are burning…” is the lyrics to one of the songs of Norwegian, Ten sing group that fascinated the Kenyan audience. The song tells it is now time to act and there is no point of turning back. The performance by Juliani Owino, a popular Kenyan artist who plays Reggae music also made the audience come alive. In between his songs, he would remind the audience, it is the responsibility of each and every one to take action against climate change and would asked people to sign a petition the caravan team is collecting to deliver to leaders. That helped the caravan team collect close to 10 thousand petitions just in one afternoon.

“I didn’t know about climate change before. But I know the effects. I learnt today why we are having drought in Kenya so I want to sign the petition,” said Adhra Gichamba, one of the Kenyans who signed the petition.

That provided motivation for the group carried as we set of for our journey that took us through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Botswana before we reached our final destination, Durban, in South Africa. We traveled in six trucks. Each truck has its driver, team leader and cook. We are also tasked to help in cooking, cleaning and packing things after every meal. At nights we pitch our tents and curl into our sleeping bags.

All this was a new experience to me. It wasn’t difficult to learn how to pitch tents and pack them up the next morning. But adapting to extreme weathers in each country we pass through wasn’t easy. Every camp site also has its own surprises. Tanzania was extremely hot. In Malawi we had to deal with crocodiles and snakes at our camp sites. The snakes didn’t leave as alone in Zambia too. We had more sleepless nights there after we figured out snakes are our neighbors in Lusaka. Botswana was more adventurous. Elephants would walk by our tents. Crocodiles were in a short distance from where we were sleeping and Scorpios were everywhere. We just have to make sure we put on closed shoes to avoid being bitten.

But all that didn’t matter to any of the dedicated young people on the caravan. We were all committed to one cause and we were all determined to meet the objective that we had left our homes for. Every day we could wake up as early as 4 or 5am. We could be on the road the whole day eating a simple sandwich we packed in the morning. We pitch our tents in the evening and help with the cooking and cleaning. When we arrived at any villages on the way we stopped and talked to them and asked them what they knew about climate change and how their lives were being affected. The same routine would continue the next day until we reach the various capital cities where the activists would stage their concerts.

part of the caravan team cooking food

This was what Nelson Ochieng, one of the youth on the caravan was expecting when he joined the caravan. As we were leaving Kenya, he was telling me his interest to know how much climate change has affected Africa and how much leaders who meet inside the big conferences know about it.

“This was a great experience in my life. We interacted with lots of people on our way and we learned from the people themselves how climate change is real and how it is actually affecting them,” Nelson says.

Indeed the journey has allowed us to see the real impacts of climate change and how much people still don’t

Forest burned down in Malawi

know about it. There is drought in Kenya and people are dying. In Malawi we saw many acres of forest destroyed because local people set it on fire, I met farmers who migrated to city because they were not able to grow crops any more for lack of rain. I talked to a woman who says the rain is not coming because God is angry and people need to pray. I met people in Tanzania whose livelihood depends on selling charcoal. They believe because they use only small amount of the forest coverage Tanzania has, it will not affect anyone. In Botswana people have to harvest rain water as it is a very scarce resource. However this year, the rain that was supposed to come in August hasn’t shown a sign until November. People don’t understand what is happening and many believe it is anger from the God.

People’s perceptions as to the cause of these extreme weather conditions could be linked to lack of awareness. But we have learnt the undeniable truth. Climate change is real and people in Africa are suffering from the consequence. Historically, Africa as a whole emits close to zero amount of carbon and other greenhouse gases compared to the developed nations which are responsible for the cost earth is paying by the increase in global warming.

A farmer in Malawi who migrated to city because she couldn't grow crops any more

However, despite not being a major contributor to global warming, Africa suffers most from its disastrous consequences. These consequences are also more severe as the nations in the continent are poor to afford any adaptive capacities that will help them cope with the climate changes.

These are the two main issues left for leaders of the world to negotiate on as they meet in Durban. They need to make sure the Kyoto protocol is extended and the responsible countries put money to help the poor nations adopt the already existing changes.

During a round table on climate change adaptation in Africa held in Durban, Dr. Fatima Denton, program leader on climate change adaptation in Africa said people at grass root level need to be informed about the type of weather they should expect and the kind of capacity they need to have to cope with the changes. “Agriculture deals with many climate change impacts. People are dealing with sea level rise, new diseases and temperature change that are leading to desertification. These are issues people struggle with on daily basis and they need to know how to plan for all these,” she said.

We reached Durban after 18 days of travel on the road. As we were to continue camping, our expectation to Durban was that we would have nice sunny weather. We were wrong. In fact, Durban became an example of the extreme weather events the world is experiencing. We found there was a storm blowing that in the end took the lives of some people; and heavy rain flooded the tents we were sleeping in. Heavy winds would start in the middle of the night that would blow over our tents and we find ourselves in new place we didn’t pitch our tents on.

“This is a kind of unseasonal event which the world will be seeing more as an effect of climate change,” said Ms. Christina Figueres on the opening day of the Climate Change Conference COP 17 in Durban as she expressed her condolence for those who lost their lives.

Ms Figueres and Ms. Nkoana-Mashabane

A day before the opening of the conference, Ms  Figueres together with the newly elected president of the COP and Foreign Minister of South Africa, Ms. Maite Nkoana-Mashabane received the 200 thousand petition the caravan collected.

The caravan completed its mission after the global act rally they took part in on December 4, 2011. They

The youth caravan team on rally in Durban

marched to the main conference center together with other thousands of activists.

 Now heading back home, this road trip may not be the last activity the young people will undertake in their journey of seeking climate justice. But at least they have contributed something for this chapter. As days passed by together on the road, I was able to sense a certain something in the group developing into something strong. I learnt that working together with ordinary people can perform extraordinary feats. They can push things that came into their hands a little higher up towards greater results.

The caravan team togeather with the faith secretariate group

Durban, South Africa – For people who are used to walking on Bram Fisher Street in Durban, South Africa this Saturday morning was unusual. The street was filled with unfamiliar and sparkling events. People stopped from rushes and daily activities to understand what brought people of different color and race all together at one place marching to one direction.

The colorful event that caught the courtesy of Durban dwellers was the rally that marked the global action for climate change. Non-Governmental organizations and faith groups joined together along St. Andrew Street of Durban to catch the attention of climate change negotiators who spent a week in United Nations Convention Center for Climate Change.

But this day wasn’t a surprise for Lebogang Kgatitswe, 29. This was the day she was expecting for the last 27 days since she left Nairobi weeks ago to be part of an African youth Caravan team that went on a road trip all the way to Durban.

Lebo together with other 160 youth who came from different parts of the world spent two weeks and half traveling from Kenya through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana before they reached south Africa. They have been raising awareness of communities on climate change and collecting petitions to ask leaders of the world the time is now for action.
Their demands were two. Asking developing countries agree for the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol that commits industrialized countries cut emission of greenhouse gases that is worming up the world and agreeing to finance developed nations so that they can adapt to the changes.

Saturday’s rally is the last activity Lebo and her friends will be engaged with

The Rally

The Global Action Rally that filled the streets of Durban and is fused by the energetic youth who travelled through Africa is usually organized every year in a country where the Conference of Parties (COP) takes place to negotiate on climate justice.
This year also over twenty thousand people representing different NGOs of the faith group, rural women, the youth, organized labor and indigenous people took part in the rally as that marched down to the International Convention Center (ICC) where country representatives and leaders are gathered for the COP17.

‘Time for climate justice!’, ‘Polluters pay!’, ‘unite against climate change!’ and ‘No more exploiting Africa!’ were some of the slogans marchers were holding. The rally also included peaceful demonstration as people were shouting and singing “We don’t want Africa to be roasted. We don’t want Africa to be burned. We demand our leaders hear us.” “Act now for Climate Justice.”
“Africa is a crime scene. We want the crime to stop,” said Reverend Nimmo, international president of the Friends of the Earth. “We demand our leaders hear us.”

“People aren’t gathered in Durban for shopping or to sleep in fancy hotels. They are here to save lives of people. ”

Women who came from rural villages of South Africa were also part of the rally as they pronounced the voice of women who are marginalized and mostly affected by the climate changes. They asked negotiators gathered in ICC not to compromise food production which is the base of their livelihood.
The peace demonstration was mostly joined by African youth who were dressed in different costumes that reflect their demands. Lebo and her friends were also among them representing the faith group. “Act now for climate justice,” was their big motto they repeatedly pronounced as they did along their way on the caravan.

One of the slogans on the rally

"We are getting ready for the battle to fight against global warming. This is the only home we have, weather we are rich or poor. If we deystroy this home, it isn't only poor to be destroyed. even the rich will not have a place to go. So for your own sake, you who are rich, we are inviting you to come on our side. If you don't join us, May be we will go first and then you will come." Ark Bishop Desmond Tutu.

Durban, South Africa- A fierce storm killed eight

The newly elected COP president and Foreign Minister of South Africa, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane

This is a second incident in Durban in less than two weeks as last week around 5 people died due to heavy rain.

The storm also damaged the roof of the venue the Climate Change negotiation among world leaders is taking place and flooded the down basement area.

The Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, Christinana Figueres, referred to the incident as unseasonal weather pattern which the world is experiencing while assuring the damage on the Conference center is under control.

“This is a kind of unseasonal event which the world will be seeing more as an effect of climate change,” says Ms. Figueres.

The negotiation for a legally binding agreement that will ensure the cut of emission of green house gases to the air which is causing these climate changes started in Durban on Monday and the Executive Secretary calls for decisive steps from leaders of the world to avoid more Sever climate changes.

She pointed out leaders should decide on reducing global warming to a minimum of 1.5 degree centigrade and how to distribute the 100 billion dollar they agreed to provide to develop countries to help them adopt the climate change.

“They also need to finish and build the climate institutions that can deliver finance and knowledge of technologies for those developing countries for adaptation.”

Newly elected president of the COP and Foreign Minister of South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says Durban is end line for the Second Commitment period of Kyoto protocol and the trust among parties is yet fragile.

“This is a decisive moment for multi lateral regions,” says Nkoana0Mashabane. “Developed nations must not walk away from commitments and should take up responsibilities.”

She also stressed Durban should be the place for reassurance for these commitments and all parties in negotiation need to be ready to address it in practical manner.

“Time isn’t on our side. There are millions of people outside leaning on us to speed up and come up with a solution.”

The Climate Change negotiation officially opened on Monday morning with the presence of South African president Jakob Zuma and negotiators are expected to come up with a draft document before Ministers and world leaders arrive next week.

According to UNFCC, so far 15, 000 participants have registered from 191 countries and 1300 journalists are covering the event.

Ms Nandi Mayathula- Khoza, one of the negotiators in the South Africa team.

The protocol that was adopted in 1997 is coming to an end in 2012 and unless countries reach an agreement to extend it, countries will have no binding rule that commits those countries to stabilize emissions.

“Kyoto protocol is mainly designed for developed countries. But South Africa is also committed to the demands of it,” says Ms Nandi Mayathula- Khoza, one of the negotiators in the South Africa team.
“It is important that we reach to a legally binding agreement in order to get the desired response and as a host country South Africa is ready to see that happen.”

However, many activists coming for the conference in Durban fear that developed countries will fail again to agree to the demands of Kyoto protocol, like it happened during the COP 16 (Cancun, Mexico, 2010) and COP 15 (Copenhagen, Denmark, 2009).

“From the ad hoc meetings taken ahead of this big conference, the whole negotiation looks like a blink. But we will stay optimist until we know how it ends,” says David Wainaina Kuria, Program and Project coordinator of African Youth Caravan.

The conference is taking place in Africa at a time the continent is going through major climate change-related events and people are feeling the effect more than ever. Most countries in East Africa are experiencing major droughts; rain fall patterns have changed, and heat is increasing more than ever – all these being “extreme weather” fluctuations which are one of the key early indicators of global warming..

Countries like Botswana are suffering from desertification and rain that was supposed to come in August hasn’t even showered until November. Malawi is having unexpected floods and in Tanzania, their main tourist attraction site mount Kilimanjaro is losing its ice cap. Places that used to be highland are getting hotter and hotter with new health threats.

The host country South Africa is also experiencing the changes in the rainfall pattern coupled with increased evaporation which is resulting in significant changes in respect of water availability in some regions.

Ms Mayathula- Khoza also stresses South Africa is built on a fossil fuel economy and it is now affected by the climate change. “That is why climate change needs political commitment and tool for the strategies of coping up,” she stresses.

Africa is going to enter the negotiation lead by Ethiopian Prime Minster Meles Zenawi who says Africa’s official position at the climate summit in Durban will be to insist on continuation of the Kyoto protocol that is designed to fight global warming and push developed leaders release fund to developing nations to help them adopt climate change.

COP17, climate change conference will take place from November 28 to December 9, 2011.

Driving through Malawi, fondly promoted for tourism as “the warm heart

Trees cut down and burnt in Malwi

of Africa”, I am part of a Caravan team that is trying to raise awareness of people about climate change.

This phase of the journey brings sad pictures into view. Trees cut down, forests burned and remaining of trees from the fire lying here and there are scenes any one would observe specially as you pass Muzuzu town and proceed to the capital city Lilongwe.

But these sad images do not only weigh down by guests to the country; Malawians themselves are feeling the effects the immense changes which have occurred within their country. Rain doesn’t come on time as it used to; drought is not a rare occurrence any more: where it was once ‘a visitor’ that used to come once in a while, now it is almost ‘a resident’. It has effectively “settled” in some parts of the country and is around year to year. Along with this, floods are killing many while taking away lots of fertile topsoil.

“October is usually when rain starts in Malawi. But it is now mid- November and we haven’t seen the sign of it,” says Clement Kaitano, who is part of Malawi youth group and coordinator.

Due to lack of rain for consecutive years, agricultural productione isn’t as predictable as it used to be. Crops have failed in many places and farmers are forced to leave their villages and migrate to urban towns to seek employment. However people to some extent are aware and ready to make changes in their life styles.

Malawians prefer to use bicycle for transport

Even though many don’t know the political terms in climate change and the big debate going on around it, they know their irresponsible actions are making them pay. Newspapers and electronic media give wider coverage to the issues of environmental conservation and people have now begun to understand that farming has to be practiced in a “sustainable” manner..

According to a 2010 report Malawi government sent to United Nations Convention on Climate Change Malawi has experienced extreme weather events ranging from droughts in the 1991/92 growing season to floods in the 1996/97 season and flash floods in 2000/01. The report also stressed such extreme weather events clearly show that there are large temporal and spatial variables in the occurrence of climate related disasters and calamities.

The first Concert in Nairobi

By Simegnish Yekoye

“How can we dance when our earth is turning, how can we sleep when our beds are burning…” this was the lyrics for the music a Norwegian music group was playing at Memorial Park in Nairobi, Kenya on November 6, 2011.

The performance was part of the kick-off concert for the caravan team that left from Nairobi to Durban, South Africa in order to push world leaders to act for climate justice.

The concert was organized by African Youth Network for Climate Justice and other NGOs, as well as the United Nations Environment Program.

“We have faith; Act for Climate Justice.” is the motto the 160 young people who came from different parts of the world, are carrying as they began a road trip from Nairobi to Durban where world leaders are to meet for the COP 17 Climate Change Conference.

The youth got together for the road trip in order to take the voice of people who are being victims of climate change to the world leaders who are expected to make major decisions in the Durban Conference.

The group is composed of young people from different parts of Africa: Norway, Canada, United States and United Kingdom will make stopovers in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana before they reach South Africa. During the stopovers, the group will stage concerts that are meant to raise awareness of communities at grass root level and collect petitions that will be delivered to the decision makers.

“Through this Caravan we are sending a message to our leaders that we have faith in them to reach a clear binding agreement to set an emission target and to finance Africa to help it cope with climate change,” says program and project coordinator of the Caravan, David Wainaina Kuria.

The idea of setting the Caravan originated two years ago during COP 15 that was held in Copenhagen, Denmark and the African youth represented saw how leaders of the world failed their people as they couldn’t reach for any binding agreement.

“The negotiation by then was based on the politics and economic position countries hold in the world. There was no human aspect into it,” David says.

The Copenhagen meeting in deed was a failure. World leaders who sat at the United Nations Climate Convention Center to negotiate mainly on how much developing countries need to decrease the release of Carbon Dioxide and other gasses to the air, which is resulting the global warming and how to finance and help Africa adapt to the climate changed couldn’t come to an agreement.

After days of negotiations, the formal negotiation went underground and the path of the negotiation became more of a political debate than an agreement to save the world. The following year wasn’t also much of a success. The leaders met again in Cancun, Mexico. This time the meeting was more focused on gathering what failed in Copenhagen and preparing more deliverable works for the Durban meeting this year.

That is why the youth of Africa decided to take part in the course of action so that they can alert their representatives and leaders who are to meet in Durban that it is now time for action and the world needs climate justice. The initiative was taken by the Kenyan Youth Climate Network and went all the way to Norway when Norwegian church aid backed up the idea supporting the team with finance and administration. Due to the link created with YMCA network across the world and a Norway based ‘Change Makers’ youth group, the initiative become global rather than a continental initiative.

“We are telling leaders of developing countries to take responsibility and leaders of Africa to be committed in terms of governance and leadership,” David emphasizes.

Historically, Africa as a whole emits close to zero amount of Carbon compared to the developed nations which are responsible for the heavy cost earth is paying due to global warming. However, it is Africa which suffers most of the disastrous consequences. These consequences are also more severe as the nations in the continent are poor to afford any adaptive capacities that will help them cope with the climate changes.

That is what put many of the youth taking part in the caravan into antagonism and ask the world to bring all meetings and negotiations to an end and start acting today.

Svein Harsten is a 60 year old who is leading around 50 Norwegian youth who are taking part in the Caravan. Before he become a CEO to Ronningen YMCA college in Norway five years ago, Svein used to be a scientist and ideologist working on climate change issues and he says the issue now is a life and death issue.

“During the 50s when our heroes went to the North Pole, they walked on ice. Now after 50 years you can swim there,” says Svein.

That and the many severe disasters the earth is facing is what triggered Svein and his team join the African initiative team to tour Africa and pass the message to the most affected victims.

During the caravan, the Norwegian team is tasked to facilitate songs and music for the concerts to be held in the countries the group passes through and do advocacy jobs.

“Norway is part of the world but there is still no interest from Norwegian government to take responsibility,” says Svein with much disappointment. However continues Svein, we still have to keep the fight going and build youth international impact.

Lebogang Kgatitswe is a 29 years old from South Africa where the big conference is going to take place. She knew all her life that in Soweto, where she grew up this time of year is rainy season and she was expecting the same weather pattern this year. But strangely enough, she says no rain has come until the day she left to join the Caravan.

“I wasn’t aware of this climate change issue until things started to get worse and I started to feel them. That is why I had to join the YMCA South Africa team that is taking part in this caravan. It is not only me, I am sure my government has done little if not none to let people know what is happening to their environment and what their responsibility is,” Lebogang says.

This personal testimony is what Lebogang will be carrying along her journey to Durban. Now she knows it isn’t her country South Africa but the rest of the continent is facing the same and worse situation and want to do her part in pushing her country leaders and of the rest of the world be responsible enough to save the world.

After the group showed the first awareness creation concert in Nairobi on November 6, 2011, it started its journey to its first destination, Tanzania and staged the second concert. The team was then to continue to Malawi, Zambia and Botswana before they reach South Africa.

By the end of their trip the caravan team expects to collect one million petition signed by all people they met along their way. That is their main target.

 “Act now before it is too late,” is the message Svein passes to world leaders. “Now is the issue of being dead or alive.”

“We have faith; Act for Climate Justice.” is the motto the 160 young people who came from different world are carrying as they began a road trip from Nairobi to Durban where world leaders are to meet for the COP 17 climate change conference.The youth got together for the road trip in order to take the voice of people who are being victims of Climate Change to the world leaders who are expected to make major decisions in the Durban Conference.

67-yar-old Mkuyu tree

 stands out by the old Customs House near the port exit, giving deep shade to scores seeking refuge from a scorching sun.

 The 67-yar-old Mkuyu tree, as it is referred to by the locals, or Ficus religiosa its scientific name, isn’t just an ordinary tree. It is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus who often worship and pray at it. 

The tree was planted on November 20, 1944 by the then Sultan Seyyid Khalifa during the bicentennial celebrations of Al Busaid dynasty. 

Under its heavy shade and long reach, local Zanzibaris run their businesses; vendors gather and people meet.

Running his mini shop selling fruit and water under the tree, Hussen Sultan says Indian worshippers come every morning to the tree carrying coconuts. They cut the coconut and sprinkle its milk around the tree before they say their prayers. And then they leave before the crowds come. 

the tree is sacred for Buddhists and Hindu worshipers

“Before, the Indians used to spend mornings and afternoons around the tree. But now they

usually come early in the morning around six or even before. They no more want to do it public,” Hussen says. 

The tree is situated close to the Forodhani Jumaa mosque that forms part of the boat-building centre. It gets very busy during the day. 

Mohamed Seid is one of those who earn a living renting out boats that bob in the harbour justacross the road from the giant fig tree. He spends most of his time cooling in the shade waitingfor customers.

 According to him, the Indians who come to pray at the sacred tree aren’t onlyfrom Zanzibar but also from Dar es Salaam and other countries. “But most of them make surethey are done with their prayers before people wake up and the streets get busy,” he adds. 

As part of a project by the Zanzibar Stone Town Heritage Society, the tree is protected and looked after by funds raised by the Embassy of Sweden. 

A banner nailed to it states that the tree is sacred for Buddhists and Hindu worshipers. 

“No one is allowed to touch the tree. No one cuts even a branch. People are only allowed to sit under its shade,” Hussen says. 

During the 1990s, UNESCO initiated a program, for the renovation of Zanzibar, without destroying or changing its historical touch. 

More than a tree, it is a silent witness to the respect that Zanzibaris share for each other’s values, religion and ways of life and the harmony they find in its shady embrace.