Gabriela Abalo is a change management consultant in Zambia. She writes a moving post about the charcoal men who go into the forests to cut down the old and thick hardwood trees. She accompanied several of them into the forest where they explained their devastating trade.These men take their charcoal by bike to the market, a ride of about 20-40 kilometers, to sell their 25 kg bags. Zambia, one of the poorest countries in Africa with a population of 12.9 million, has a 50% unemployment rate. 80% of the population uses charcoal for fuel.
She expresses so poignantly the great sadness about the charcoal men's activity,
"As I was getting closer to the place I couldn’t stop feeling overwhelmed by the disheartening contrast – on one side a beautiful ancient indigenous forest, full of light and energy, on the other side the naked land. The fact of knowing that a few weeks before that very same terrain was a glorious forest filled my heart with desperation and helplessness. I could feel the lamentations of the fallen trees while the smoke from the charcoal earthy-oven collapsed my senses."
I have seen several news stories about this charcoal industry. A plane flying over a forest can spot plumes of smoke coming from around some of the biggest trees- a sure sign of the destruction. It's particularly sad in Africa as many areas have been totally ravaged to the extent that there is no canopy left.
Gabriela concludes, "A change is needed, actions must be taken. We must become part of the change."
Image: 'Africa's burning charcoal problem'
