Earth Day

Here in Mozambique we don’t have Earth Day. Most people are too busy trying to survive to focus on the larger issues facing our planet. Since I had just finished my obligations with JOMA, I wanted to do something to celebrate April 22. A couple of my PC buddies and I decided to climb the large rock outcropping on the outskirts of Chimoio called ‘Cabeça do Velho,’ because the profile resembles a human face. We made our way up the steep rock slope to the top of the nose where we found Janet with about 50 female volunteers, teacher and students from the REDES conference. They had climbed the promontory as a self-esteem boosting empowerment exercise for the girls whole conference theme was ‘Anything is Possible.’ After taking some pictures and lots of yelling and dancing, the girls headed back to camp and we had the top of the hill to ourselves. We just relaxed in the cool breeze, enjoying the panoramic views of the city on one side, with evening fires beginning to send up small columns of smoke, and open fields, trees, and greenery on the other. Just as the sun began to set, a large troop of baboons emerged, the youngest enthusiastically scampering up and down the rock faces chasing each other and playing other monkey games. None of us had a camera, so we just enjoyed the scene and reflected on how lucky we are to live on this marvelous Earth and to serve as volunteers here in Mozambique.