Iziqalelo zoMhlaba

Ndive amandla. Amandla amanzi andiphakamisayo, endityhala, enditsala, endishukumisa, endibeka kude njengoko libona iliso. Umtsalane wam nothando lwam ngolwandle luzinze ngokuqinileyo kwixesha endalichitha ndisonwabela iGulf of Mexico kwiSouth Padre Island ndisengumntwana. Ndandiye ndiqubhe de ndidinwe ndiyimfe yaye endleleni egodukayo ndandingakwazi ukuzibamba ndincume ndize ndizicingele, “Andinakulinda ukuyenza loo nto kwakhona.”

Ndaqhubela phambili ndafunda ukusefa kunye ne-kayak kwisiqithi, apho ndiza kuhlonipha uMama weNdalo ngokudanisa kwintlabathi yakhe emenyezelayo, ndikhwele amaza abonelelwa ngamandla omoya kunye nokuphakama ngokuthe ngcembe konxweme. Phezu kwako nje ukuba ndedwa okuzolileyo endandisoloko ndisiba nako ngoxa ndandisemanzini, isibakala sokuba ndandindedwa asizange sindilahlekele. Izilwanyana zaselwandle neentaka zaselwandle zaziyinxalenye yolwandle njengamanzi nesanti. Andizange ndibone ezi zidalwa kuphela, ndaziva zindijikelezile ngelixa ndihamba nge-kayaking, ukusefa kunye nokuqubha. Le nkqubo intle yendalo ibingayi kuphelela ngaphandle kwabo, kwaye ubukho babo bulwenze nzulu uthando lwam kunye noloyiko lwam lolwandle.  

Ukuthanda kwam indalo kunye nezilwanyana zasendle kwandikhokelela ekubeni ndiqhubele phambili nezifundo zenzululwazi, ndigxile kakhulu kwiNzululwazi yokusiNgqongileyo. Ngelixa ndikwiDyunivesithi yaseTexas eBrownsville, ndasebenza kunye noosonzululwazi kunye nonjingalwazi besenza uphando kuyo yonke into ukusuka kumgangatho wamanzi ukuya kwintlenga kunye nokuchongwa kwentyatyambo ecaleni kwegophe kunye namachibi e-oxbow eBrownsville, eTexas ebizwa ngokuba, “Resacas.” Ndaye ndanewonga lokusebenza njengoMququzeleli weCampus Greenhouse apho ndandinoxanduva lokugcina iMangroves emnyama esempilweni eyathi ke yaphinda yatyalwa ecaleni kweNyoba yaseMexico. 
Okwangoku, umsebenzi wam wosuku undizisa kwihlabathi lobudlelwane boluntu olusebenza kunye noshishino kunye nokukhupha abathengi abasekwe kumgaqo-nkqubo woluntu. Ndinewonga lokusebenzisana neenkokheli zesizwe zaseLatino ekudaleni amathuba apho avula iindlela ukuze uluntu lwaseLatino ludityaniswe nesona sixhobo siyimfuneko kwinkulungwane yama-21, i-Intanethi. 

Ndihlala ndiqhagamshelwe kwintshukumo yendalo esingqongileyo kunye nolondolozo lomsebenzi wam wokuvolontiya kunye neLatino Outdoors apho ndisebenza njengoMnxibelelanisi weDC. Njengomnxibelelanisi, ndisebenza ekuphuhliseni ubambiswano oluya kuphucula ulwazi loluntu lwaseLatino kunye nokuzibandakanya kunye namathuba okuzonwabisa angaphandle. Ngemisebenzi yangaphandle eyonwabisayo efana nekayaking, ukukhwela inqanawa, ukukhwela ibhayisekile, ukukhwela intaba kunye nokukhwela iintaka, sibeka isiseko sonxibelelwano oluzinzileyo nolubalulekileyo loluntu lwethu kunye noMama weNdalo. Kweli hlobo nasekwindla, siya kuqhubeka sisebenza nabangenzi nzuzo basekuhlaleni ekucoceni imilambo. Sixhase ukucocwa malunga ne-Anacostia kunye ne-Potomac Rivers eziye zanceda ukususa ngaphezu kweetoni ze-2 zenkunkuma kulo nyaka. Kulo nyaka siqale ukusebenza kwimisitho yezemfundo ezisa iingcali ze-biodiversity yaseLatino ukuba zifundise izifundo ezimfutshane malunga nemithi kunye ne-ecosystem yendawo. Iklasi ilandelwa luhambo olunolwazi eNPS: Rock Creek Park.

Ndijonge phambili ekusebenzeni njengeLungu leBhodi yeeNgcebiso kunye ne-Ocean Foundation, kwaye ndenza indima yam ukuxhasa injongo yokubuyisela umva umkhwa wokutshatyalaliswa kweelwandlekazi zethu kunye nokukhuthaza inkqubo yendalo yolwandle esempilweni.