Ngaba Likho Ithemba? Amava am eVeki yoLwandlekazi yaseCapitol Hill

Kulo lonke uhambo lwam ekuhloleni nasekucwangciseni ikamva lam kwintsimi yolondolozo lwaselwandle, ndihlala ndilwa nombuzo othi "Ngaba kukho ithemba?". Ndihlala ndibaxelela abahlobo bam ukuba ndithanda izilwanyana ngaphezu kwabantu kwaye bacinga ukuba yintlekisa, kodwa yinyani. Abantu banamandla kakhulu kwaye abazi ukuba mabenze ntoni ngawo. Ngoko… likhona ithemba? Ndiyazi ukuba inokwenzeka, iilwandle zethu zinokukhula kwaye zibe sempilweni kwakhona ngoncedo lwabantu, kodwa ngaba kuya kwenzeka? Ngaba abantu baya kusebenzisa amandla abo ukuze basindise iilwandlekazi zethu? Le yingcinga engapheliyo entlokweni yam yonke imihla. 

Ndihlala ndizama ukucinga emva kwinto eyakha olu thando lungaphakathi kum ngookrebe kwaye andinakuze ndikhumbule. Xa ndandikwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo, malunga nexesha apho ndandiqala ukuba nomdla ngakumbi kookrebe yaye ndandidla ngokuhlala ndibukele iifilimu ezithetha ngabo, ndikhumbula ukuba indlela endandibajonga ngayo yaqalisa ukutshintsha. Ukuqala ukuba ngumlandeli kakrebe endinguye, ndandithanda ukwabelana nabanye ngalo lonke ulwazi endandilufunda, kodwa kwakungekho mntu wayesiqonda isizathu sokuba ndibakhathalele kangaka. Abahlobo nentsapho yam abazange bayiqonde impembelelo abanayo ehlabathini. Xa ndenza isicelo somfundi oqeqeshwayo e-Ocean Foundation, yayingeyondawo nje apho ndandinokufumana amava okufaka i-CV yam; yayiyindawo apho ndandinethemba lokuba ndiza kukwazi ukuzibonakalisa kwaye ndibe phakathi kwabantu abaqondayo nababelana ngothando lwam. Ndandisazi ukuba oku kuya kubutshintsha ubomi bam ngonaphakade.

Kwiveki yam yesibini eThe Ocean Foundation, ndanikwa ithuba lokuzimasa iVeki yoLwandlekazi yaseCapitol Hill eWashington, DC kwiSakhiwo sikaRonald Reagan kunye neZiko loRhwebo lwaMazwe ngaMazwe. Iphaneli yokuqala endayizimasayo “YayinguGuqulo lweMarike yeHlabathi yezokutya kwaselwandle”. Ekuqaleni, khange ndicwangcise ukubakho kweli qela kuba belingakhange liwuvuse umdla wam, kodwa ndiyavuya kuba ndiyenzile. Ndakwazi ukuva uNksz Patima Tungpuchayakul ohloniphekileyo kunye neqhawe, umseki we-Labour Rights Promotion Network, ethetha ngobukhoboka obenzeka kwiinqanawa zokuloba phesheya kolwandle. Bekuliwonga ukuphulaphula umsebenzi abawenzileyo nokufunda ngemiba ebendingayazi ncam. Akwaba ngendandikwazile ukudibana naye, kodwa nangona kunjalo, ngamava lawo endingasokuze ndiwalibale kwaye ndiya kuwaxabisa ngonaphakade.

Iphaneli endandiyivuyele kakhulu, ingakumbi, yayiligqiza elingo “State of Shark and Ray Conservation”. Igumbi laligcwele kwaye lizaliswe ngamandla amakhulu. Isithethi sokuvula yayinguCongressman Michael McCaul kwaye kufuneka nditsho, intetho yakhe kunye nendlela athethe ngayo ngookrebe kunye neelwandle zethu yinto endingasoze ndiyilibale. Umama uhlala endixelela ukuba kukho izinto ezi-2 ongathethi ngazo nakubani na kwaye yinkolo nepolitiki. Oko kuthethwa, ndikhulele kusapho ezopolitiko azizange zibe yinto enkulu kwaye yayingeyonto ingako kwikhaya lethu. Ukukwazi ukumamela iCongressman McCaul kunye nokuva ukuthanda kwilizwi lakhe malunga nento endiyikhathalele kakhulu, kwakumangalisa ngendlela engakholelekiyo. Ekupheleni kwelo qela, abaphulaphuli baphendula imibuzo embalwa kubaphulaphuli yaye umbuzo wam waphendulwa. Ndababuza “Ngaba ninethemba lokuba kuza kubakho utshintsho?” Onke amalungu ebhunga aphendula ngokuthi ewe yaye ebengayi kuyenza le nto ayenzayo ukuba abakholelwa ukuba utshintsho lunokwenzeka. Emva kokuba iseshoni iphelile, ndakwazi ukudibana no-Lee Crockett, uMlawuli oyiNtloko we-Shark Conservation Fund. Ndambuza ngempendulo yakhe kumbuzo wam, kunye namathandabuzo endinawo, kwaye wabelana nam ukuba nangona kunzima kwaye kuthatha ixesha ukubona utshintsho, olo tshintsho lwenza ukuba lube luncedo. Ukwathe into emenza aqhubeke kuzenzela iinjongo ezincinci kuhambo lweyona njongo iphambili. Emva kokuva oko, ndakhuthazeka ukuba ndiqhubeke. 

Ngasentla: Iphaneli ye-“Whale Conservation in the 21st Century”.

Ekubeni ndingoyena ndibathanda kakhulu ookrebe, andikhange ndithathe xesha lininzi lokufunda ngezinye izilwanyana ezikhulu kangangoko ndinako. KwiVeki yoLwandlekazi yaseCapitol Hill, ndiye ndakwazi ukuya kwigqiza elingoLondolozo lweWhale ndaza ndafunda okuninzi. Ndandisoloko ndisazi ukuba uninzi, ukuba asingazo zonke, izilwanyana zaselwandle zazisemngciphekweni ngandlel’ ithile ngenxa yezinto ezenziwa ngabantu, kodwa ngaphandle kokuzingela ngokungekho mthethweni ndandingaqinisekanga ncam ukuba yintoni eyayibeka esichengeni ezi zidalwa zikrelekrele. Isazinzulu esiPhezulu, uGqr. Michael Moore wachaza ukuba umba omkhulu phakathi kweminenga kukuba basoloko bebambeka kwimigibe yeekreyifishi. Xa ndicinga ngaloo nto, andizange ndicinge ukuba ndiza kuba sengozini kwaye ndingaziboni. UMnu. Keith Ellenbogen, umfaki-zithombe ophumelele ibhaso ngaphantsi kwamanzi, wachaza amava akhe ethatha imifanekiso yezi zilwanyana kwaye kwakumangalisa. Ndandiyithanda indlela awayenyanisekile ngayo ngokoyika ekuqaleni. Rhoqo xa usiva iingcali zithetha ngamava azo, azithethi ngoloyiko eziye zadibana nazo xa zaziqala naxa wakwenza oko, oko kwandinika ithemba kum lokuba mhlawumbi ngenye imini ndinokuba nesibindi ngokwaneleyo ukuba ndibe kufutshane nezi zinkulu, izilwanyana ezimangalisayo. Emva kokubaphulaphula bethetha ngeminenga, kwandenza ndaziva ndibathanda ngakumbi. 

Emva kosuku olude lokuqala kwinkomfa ndanikwa ithuba elimangalisayo lokuzimasa iCapitol Hill Ocean Week Gala, ekwaziwa ngokuba yi “Ocean Prom,” ngobo busuku. Yaqala ngolwamkelo lwecocktail kwinqanaba elisezantsi apho ndazama iimbatyisi yam yokuqala ekrwada. Yayiyincasa efunyenweyo kwaye incasa njengolwandle; andiqinisekanga ukuba ndiziva njani ngaloo nto. Njengoko abantu bendijongile, ndayibona indawo endihlala kuyo. Ukusuka kwiingubo ezinde ezintle ukuya kwiingubo ezilula ze-cocktail, wonke umntu wayebukeka emhle. Wonke umntu wayenxibelelana ngokukhawuleza kangangokuba kwakungathi ndikwindibano yamabanga aphakamileyo. Eyona nto ndandiyithanda kakhulu, kukuba ngumthandi wokrebe, yayizifandesi ezithe cwaka, ingakumbi incwadi yookrebe. Ngendibeke phantsi ibhidi ukuba andinguye umfundi wasekholejini owaphukileyo. Njengoko ubusuku babuqhubeka, ndadibana nabantu abaninzi kwaye ndandinombulelo kakhulu, ndingenisa yonke into. Umzuzu endingasokuze ndiwulibale kuxa uGqr. Nancy Knowlton obalaseleyo wawongwa waza wanikwa imbasa yeLifetime Achievement. Ukumamela uGqr. Knowlton ethetha ngomsebenzi wakhe nokuba yintoni emenza aqhubeke, kwandinceda ukuba ndibone okulungileyo kunye nokwakhayo kuba nangona mninzi umsebenzi omele wenziwe, sihambe umgama omde. 

Ngasentla: UGqr. Nancy Knowlton uyalamkela ibhaso lakhe.

Amava am ayemnandi. Kwakuphantse kufana nomthendeleko womculo kunye neqela labantu abadumileyo, okumangalisayo nje ukujikelezwa ngabantu abaninzi abasebenza ukwenza utshintsho. Nangona, yinkomfa nje, yinkomfa ebuyisele ithemba lam kwaye yandiqinisekisa ukuba ndikwindawo elungileyo nabantu abafanelekileyo. Ndiyazi ukuba kuyakuthatha ixesha ukuba utshintsho luze, kodwa luza kufika kwaye ndonwabile ukuba yinxalenye yaloo nkqubo.