African Insights - Monthly Ezine - Newsletter

African Insights Ezine - October 2006

Mabira Rain Forest or Mabira Sugarcane Fields?

Drive from Kampala to Jinja to see the source of the Nile. Coming and going you will enter one of the most beautiful forests in all Uganda, Mabira.  There are ancient trees, jungle like settings, hiking trails with various degrees of difficulty.  Animals abound, colorful birds create a symphony above, and the sun shines through in spots. You can camp there and experience the night in the forest in a most memorable manner.  Ugandans love their Mabira Forest and so do lots of us muzungus.

 

Mabira Rainforest is one of those many natural wonders that create as to what is know as the “Pearl of Africa.”  Along comes the Sugar Corporation of Uganda, Ltd., that wants to take 25% of this natural treasure and turn it into a vast wasteland of sweet sticks in the air.  Why there? Why not somewhere else? They have been offered 10,000 hectares by the Buganda Kingdom . I  But no, the Sugar Corporation of Uganda, Ltd. insists on the Mabira forest since it is next to their existing sugarcane fields and because it is a rain forest, thus SCOUL would not have to pay for an irrigation system since this rainforest naturally supplies water to the soil.

 

President Museveni has stated that he is willing to listen to sound reasoning as to why one should keep the forest in its present state, petitions have been signed and sent, but the issue of taking one of Uganda’s finest forests and simply cutting 25% down is quite shortsighted and ultimately destructive and far from solved. It will certainly affect the ecological balance of that part of the country, then the rest of East Africa, since everything is connected.

 

Uganda signed the Kyoto agreement, it does not have to do much since it is a developing nation, besides planting more trees and increasing the forests, instead some business people have this idea that there is a sugar shortage and Ugandans need more sugar for their Chai, therefore they see it as logical to cut down one of the prime rain forest regions of the country.

 

Maybe Kenya should send on loan Wangari Mathai, Assistant Minister of the Environment and Member of Parliament. This woman from Nyeri, high in the mountains, was the catalyst behind an incredible women’s movement that planted over 20 million trees in Kenya and reversed a trend that surely would have brought total ruin to her country.  Her efforts in her country were recognized as benefiting the entire world, and Wangari Mathai was rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Maybe she could speak some sense into this situation. But the people who need to speak out are the Ugandans who need to realize that this is the time to stand firm and not allow the loss of a portion of Mabira Rainforest, the heritage of their children and generations that are to come after them. Timing is critical. Once the trees are gone, they are gone and it would be difficult to turn around and start anew.

 

I am sure that there is Wangari Mathai type person in Uganda. She or he just needs to come forth and speak on behalf of the heritage of Uganda.  There is lots of other space for sugarcane; more urgently needed are even more trees.

 

In this part of the world most people cook with charcoal that comes from the shrubs and trees around towns.  This has resulted in the defoliation of large parts of East Africa.  It is time to plant more trees, not to cut them down. 

 

It is time for SCOUL, Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, to realize that people in Uganda and all across this world are against such shortsighted SCOUL - serving nonsense, and such thinking does not take the future generations into account.  We can always find another spoon of sugar, or honey for that matter, but once we cut down 25% of a majestic forest, we just might end up with a bowl of dust. I am sure that President Museveni will make the right decision that considers and nurtures the development of his country, which is gifted by nature, the Pearl of Africa…Ugandajon

 

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Here are some of the past issues available on line

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April 2008:  The Why's of it all - The needs of the children of Africa

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January 2008: Let it Rain

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December 2007:  Christmas in Africa - 2007

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October 2007:  The Lights have refused to come on!

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September:  CHOGM 2007 - The Queen is coming to Uganda!

bullet May 2007 - Omega - A voice that touches the soul
bullet April 2007 - Every Ugandan has a cell phone but...
bullet February 2007:  They just keep on coming ... and coming...
bullet January 2007:  Impressions on Purpose and Calling in Life
bullet December 2006:  It is still not Christmas in Northern Uganda…sadly so…
bulletOctober 2006:  Mabira Rainforest or Sugarcane Plantation?
bullet July 2006:  Uganda gifted by Nature?
bullet March 2006:Starbucks watch out! Here comes Café Pap
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February 2006:  African Reflections 2006

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January 2006:  Safari - The Journey Begins

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September 2005:  Born and raised in Africa - Coffee

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August 2005: Sacred Spaces, Thought provoking Places

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July 2005:  Kodak Moments

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June 2005: Roda Bec - her Journey ends too soon

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February 2005:  Listening for the Sounds of Africa

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January 2005:  African Leaders needed – A moment in the life of the President of Uganda

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December 2004: My wish for Africa in 2005

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November 2004: Our Children - Africa's Orphans

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October 2004:  Driving in Uganda

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August 2004: Born in the USA and Born in Africa -Where you are born, determines how you live

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July 2004: Dead White Man’s Clothing Get a Second Life in Africa

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May 2004 Rwanda - 10 years later

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April 2004:  Food - Western and African Thoughts

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March 2004: Meet Owuor from the movie "Nowhere in Africa."

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February 2004: The King and the Son of a Slave: King Leopold and William Sheppard

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January 2004:  Flying in Africa

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December 2003:  Aids and the Children of Africa

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November 2003:  Gathering at the Table - Thanksgiving

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October 2003:  Karen Blixen - Another view of her time in Africa

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September 2003:  Machetes - Pangas and fair trade with Africa

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August 2003:  Idi Amin - The little - big Man - thoughts on his life and death

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July 2003:  In and Out of Africa  or How not to visit Africa - The President Bush Visit

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June 2003:  Africa awaits you! Traveling to Africa in uncertain times

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May 2003 Africa and the Western World – a fragile relationship-or- Do Africans Hate Westerners?

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April 2003:  Pity for Africa versus Compassionate Action for Africa

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March 2003:  African Bargain Ritual

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February 2003: Aids-Africa-Dignity and Hope…Thoughts...

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January 2003:  Not Yet Uhuru…but it is coming…

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December 2002:  Christmas - African Style

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November 2002: African Images

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September 2002:  Matatu Ride - A Near Death Experience

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August 2002: Miracle - Life Saving Medicine - Soap and Water

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July 2002:  Culture – Patriarchal Ways and Education of Women

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June 2002 Newsletter - Water – Plastic Containers and Women’s Liberation

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May 2002 Newsletter - The African Entrepreneurial Spirit is alive and well

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April 2002 Out of Africa – Too Newsletter - The WaBenzi Tribe of Africa 

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March 2002 Newsletter - Africa … Living with death and celebrating life

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February 2002 Newsletter - A Hero falls

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January 2002 Newsletter - Climbing in Rwanda

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Christmas  2001 Newsletter

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December 2001 Issue "St. Nicholas Day - Thoughts in Africa"

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November 2001 Issue "I am glad you made it through the night"

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October 2001 Issue "Thoughts on being Human"

Ugandan Safaris into the Pearl of Africa

 

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Last updated: 06 May 2008

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