Eyokuqala ngoMatshi kuLwandlekazi

Amaza aluhlaza ezikipa, iminqwazi, kunye neempawu azalise i-National Mall ngoMgqibelo, we-9 kuJuni. UMatshi wokuqala woLwandle (M4O) wawubanjelwe eWashington, DC ngosuku olushushu, olufumileyo. Abantu beza bevela kwihlabathi liphela beze kuthethelela ukulondolozwa kweyona mfuno yethu inkulu, ulwandle. Ukwenza i-71% yomphezulu womhlaba, ulwandle ludlala indima ebalulekileyo kwintlalo-ntle yehlabathi kunye nomjikelo we-ecosystem. Imanyanisa abantu, izilwanyana kunye nezithethe. Noko ke, njengoko kuboniswa ngokwanda kongcoliseko oluselunxwemeni, ukuloba ngokugqithisileyo, ukufudumala kwehlabathi, nokutshatyalaliswa kwendawo yokuhlala, ukubaluleka kolwandle akuxatyiswanga.

I-March for the Ocean yaququzelelwa yiBlue Frontier ukwazisa ngemibandela yolondolozo lolwandle ukubongoza iinkokeli zopolitiko ukuba zixhase umgaqo-nkqubo wolondolozo lwendalo. IBlue Frontier yadityaniswa yi-WWF, i-Ocean Foundation, i-Sierra Club, i-NRDC, i-Oceana, kunye ne-Ocean Conservancy ukubiza ezimbalwa. Ukongeza kwimibutho ephezulu yokusingqongileyo, iThe Ocean Project, iBig Blue & You, iYouth Ocean Conservation Summit, kunye neminye imibutho yolutsha eliqela nayo ibizimase. Wonke umntu wadibana ukuxhasa impilo entle yolwandle lwethu.

Amalungu aliqela abasebenzi be-Ocean Foundation babonise ukuthanda kwabo ukugcina ulwandle ngokuthatha inxaxheba kumngcelele kwaye beqaqambisa amaphulo olondolozo lwe-Ocean Foundation eluntwini kwindawo yethu. Ngezantsi ziingcinga zabo ngolu suku:

	UJarrod Curry, uMphathi oMkhulu weNtengiso “Ndimangaliswe yindlela enkulu ngayo inani labantu ababezile kulo mngcelele, xa ndiqwalasela uqikelelo losuku. Sibe nentlanganiso eqhumayo kwaye sincokola nabaninzi abathetheleli bolwandle abasuka kulo lonke ilizwe - ngakumbi abo baneempawu zokuyila. Ubungakanani bobomi, umnenga oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ovela kwiGreat Whale Conservancy uhlala ungumbono.
	UAlyssa Hildt, uMdibaniso weNkqubo “Le ibiyimatshi yam yokuqala, kwaye indenze ndanethemba elikhulu lokubona abantu bayo yonke iminyaka bethanda ulwandle. Ndimele i-Ocean Foundation kwindawo yethu kwaye ndavuseleleka ziintlobo zemibuzo esiyifumanayo kunye nomdla kwinto esiyenzayo njengombutho ukuxhasa ukulondolozwa kolwandle. Ndiyathemba ukubona iqela elikhulu ngakumbi kuMatshi olandelayo njengoko ulwazi lwemiba yolwandle lusasazeka kwaye abantu abaninzi baxhasa iplanethi yethu eluhlaza. "
	UAlexandra Puritz, uMdibaniso weNkqubo “Eyona ndawo ibinika umdla kwi-M4O ziinkokeli zolutsha ebezikhuthaza ulwandle olusempilweni ukusuka kwi-Sea Youth Rise Up kunye ne-Heirs to Our Oceans. Bandinika ithemba nenkuthazo. Ikhwelo labo lokuthabatha amanyathelo kufuneka landiswe kulo lonke uluntu lolondolozo lwaselwandle.”
	U-Ben May, uMququzeleli woLwandle loLutsha lwe-Ocean Rise Up “Ubushushu obuqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo ngokuqhelekileyo babungenakusivumela thina bathandi bolwandle ukuba sibe nenxaxheba kumsitho ochulumancisayo ngolo hlobo, kodwa oko akuzange kusithintele! Amawakawaka abathandi bolwandle baphuma kwaye babonisa uthando lwabo ngexesha lohambo! Indibano emva koko yaba nenguqu emandla njengoko abathunywa bezazisa eqongeni kwaye bavakalisa ikhwelo labo lokuthabatha amanyathelo. Nangona iindudumo zabangela ukuba indibano iphele kwangethuba, kwaba kuhle ukufumana ukuqonda kolunye ulutsha neenkokeli zabantu abadala”
	U-Alexis Valauri-Orton, uMphathi weNkqubo “Owona mba wawukhuthazayo ngeyoKwindla yayikukuvuma kwabantu ukusuka kude ukuya kuba lilizwi lezilwanyana zaselwandle. Sasinabantu abavela kwihlabathi liphela batyikitye uluhlu lwethu lwe-imeyile ukuze bafumane uhlaziyo kumanyathelo okugcina iilwandle zethu! Ibonise uthando lwabo ngolwandle kwaye yabonisa amanyathelo ayimfuneko umntu afanele awathabathe ukuze enze utshintsho oluhlala luhleli!”
	U-Eleni Refu, uMnxulumanisi woPhuhliso kunye nokuBeka iliso noVavanyo “Ndandicinga ukuba kuyandikhuthaza ukudibana nabantu abaninzi, abaneemvelaphi ezahlukahlukeneyo, ababebonakala benenzondelelo engathethekiyo ekukhuseleni ulwandlekazi lwethu. Ndiyathemba ukuba siza kufumana inani elikhulu ngakumbi labantu abaza kuvota kuMatshi olandelayo kuba bekumnandi ukubona abantu bedibana bexhasa into edla ngokungahoywa.”
	UJulianna Dietz, Umdibanisi weNtengiso “Eyona nto bendiyithanda kulo mngcelele ibikukuthetha nabantu abatsha ndibaxelela ngeThe Ocean Foundation. Isibakala sokuba ndikwazi ukusebenzisana nabo ndize ndibavuyise ngomsebenzi esiwenzayo sasikhuthaza ngokwenene. Ndathetha nabahlali be-DMV basekhaya, abantu abavela kulo lonke elase-US, kunye nabantu abambalwa ababehlala kumazwe ngamazwe! Wonke umntu wayechulumancile kukuva ngomsebenzi wethu kwaye wonke umntu wayemanyene ekuthandeni kwakhe ulwandle. KuMatshi olandelayo, ndinethemba lokubona abathathi-nxaxheba abaninzi bephuma - imibutho kunye nabaxhasi."

Mna Akwi Anyangwe ibingumatsha wam wokuqala lo kwaye ibiyi revolution. Kwindawo yeThe Ocean Foundation, ndothuswa bubuninzi bolutsha oluzimisele ukuba ngamatsha-ntliziyo. Ndikwazile ukuzibonela ngokwam ukuba ulutsha liziko lotshintsho. Ndikhumbula ndithatha inyathelo umva ukuze ndincome ukuthanda kwabo, ukuthanda, kunye nokuqhuba kwaye ndicinge kum, “Wowu, thina bamawakawaka singalitshintsha ngokwenene ihlabathi. ULINDE ntoni uAkwi? Ngoku lixesha lokusindisa iilwandle zethu!” Yayingamava amangalisayo ngokwenene. Kunyaka ozayo ndiza kubuya ndisebenze ngoMatshi kwaye ndilungele ukugcina ulwandle lwethu!