Channel16 FOLDING KAYAKS THAT TRAVEL THE WORLD dream in colour WATERLINES BY JOÃO SIMÕES
Kayaking for the People
HOW TO HELP THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
In this economically diverse world, paddling can possess a range of meanings for different people. For westerners, kayaks are not vital. Despite being a passion or even a
way of life, for us, paddling remains a recreational pursuit. On the other hand, for millions elsewhere in the world, human-powered watercraft serve as fundamental hunting or fishing tools, or as means of transporta- tion critical to basic local economies. Though our motivations to paddle may be worlds apart, the kayak
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shines as a starting point for us to reach out—common ground among different cultures. Traditional approaches to building a dugout pirogue, for example, take skills, tools and techniques passed on from generation to generation. Likewise, the craftsmanship of modern sea kayak builders is built on similar customs. When we paddle at home, we often acknowledge our local waterways
through conservation and management, protecting the places we love. However, when traveling to paddle in underdeveloped areas, we need to broaden our perspective on stewardship. The people should be of as much concern as the surrounding natural landscape. It seems deeply un- fair to raise and spend thousands of dollars on an expedition and leave behind little positive impact on local communities. By keeping informed of global issues, realizing our potential to make a
difference and starting small within our kayaking clubs or weekend pad- dling groups, our awareness may inspire something more. Lake Malawi, or Lake Nyassa as it is referred to locally, is the perfect
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proving ground for sea kayakers looking to accomplish more through their paddling. Straddling the borders of Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, Nyassa is the third largest lake in Africa, the eighth largest in the world. Its waters provide habitat for countless species of fish and its shorelines are home to hippos, monkeys, crocodiles and painted dogs. But in order to overcome the one-sided, consumptive nature of so many international trips, a truly successful expedition must focus on the peo- ple who inhabit the massive lake’s coastline. The region could benefit greatly from navigation safety education to
decrease a high annual drowning death toll. To bolster sustainable eco- nomic growth, area guides need training to establish a stable and repu- table eco-tourism industry. These issues are important to boaters who value life on and around the water, be they western expedition paddlers who are passionate about their lifestyle or Africans who rely on the lake for sustenance. Distance and economic disparity can be overcome by celebrating a
common denominator. For the people of Lake Nyassa, the kayak is a per- fect fit. Paddlers planning international expeditions have the potential to show solidarity in their endeavors. By doing so, they’ll give the world at large one more reason to get involved in kayaking—benevolence.
JOÃO SIMÕES is the leader of Kayaking for the People (KFTP), a Portuguese not-for-profit organization founded to tackle third world medical, agricultural and educational projects. For more info on the KFTP project visit www.kaya-
kingforthepeople.org.
Waterlines is our reader essay column. Send your 500-word personal essays or stories to
editor@adventurekayakmag.com.
16 ADVENTURE KAYAK | EARLY SUMMER 2011
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