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The journey so far


Ivy

Ivy Maina was born and educated in Kenya. She is currently on ActionAid's 'Get on Board' epic bus journey from Johannesburg to Scotland. Collecting messages from African people to take to the G8 summit in Edinburgh in July, Ivy reports back to TheSite on her experiences along the way.
Entry: 1
Date: 26/04/2005

From extreme heat to touching encounters with families coping with HIV and poverty, Ivy tells us about her first few weeks on the bus.

I strongly believe in 'African solutions to African problems,' so I am looking forward to bringing messages from African people I meet on this journey to the G8 summit. I know I will be meeting people living in extreme poverty - and helping to get their voices heard.

The messages will form a challenge from the people of Africa to world leaders to support - not undermine - Africa's own efforts to overcome poverty and injustice.

I love to travel, but until now I have only been as far as Tanzania, so I am excited about seeing more of Africa and travelling to Europe.

We've been on the bus for about two weeks now, but it feels like longer. We have seen so many things and met so many people that we have hardly had time to think let alone write.

The team and I are in Maputo, Mozambique. We arrived via Lebombo the South Africa/Mozambique border crossing where we were met with cheerful song and dance from a community group known as the Makwaiela singers and an equally jovial staff from ActionAid International Mozambique.

The ActionAid bus

The ActionAid bus

With temperatures running as high as 31°C, it was rather obvious to our welcoming party that we were trying our best not to show that we couldn't stand the heat.

Along with another guy on the bus, Steven, and I had to process my Mozambique visas at the border, which meant the whole team waiting another hour or so in the sweltering heat, but we finally made our way to Maputo for a hard-earned rest.

The next morning the team visited two families living with HIV/AIDS in Macaquene district in Maputo. I visited only one family and their experience was enough to sink my spirit. Carlos Olimpio and Maria Cristina are HIV positive and have five children, one of whom is also HIV positive.

They are both unemployed and although a community group known as Kuyukana, (which means rebuilding in English), supports the family with some food and antiretroviral, the future looks grim for them and their young children. For Carlos and Maria they just want to be able to feed their children and have a proper house to live in. Watching Carlos smiling and playing with his son was so wonderful yet so sad.

I left wanting so much to detach myself from their experience but ended up feeling guilty. I, like the rest of the world, have failed Maria, Carlos and their children.

My journey continues. Only, it is not MY journey it's their journey. I am but only a carrier. Will I make it? I do not know. I only know I cannot fail them again!

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