Return of Khwezi reporter from Mumbai After spending two weeks covering the World Social Forum in Mumbai in India for Amarc Simbani Africa Mabutho Ngcobo an award winning Khwezi journalist has final come back. Mabutho Ngcobo and Sarah Adongo from Uganda both Simbani News Correspondents were selected to cover the World Social Forum in Mumbai India which took place from the 16th to 23rd of January 2004. It all started with a journey from the small rural community radio in Kranskop on the morning of the 13th January. We were five from Amarc Africa including our co-ordinator Yoro Sengare and Amarc Africa President in West Africa Yaya Sangare plus Francophone correspondent from Ivory Coast Roger Saiba. We reached Jomo Kenyatta International Airport named after Jomo Kenyatta the former President of Kenya. I felt at home in Kenya because I could speak some basics of the Swahili language. Within the 2 hours we spent in Nairobi I had five friends. They could not believe that someone from the South can speak the Swahili language. However after more than 20 yrs after the country has gained independence from British colonialism there is still a lot to be done as far as development is concerned. You could see the dust roads near the Capital city Nairobi. We reached Mumbai International Airport at 2 am Indian time. The country is very poor with more than 1 billion population, more than five times our 45 million SA population. The country was colonised by the British, you could see some remainders of the old buildings similar to the town halls in South African towns that were built by the British government. There is a high illiterate rate in Mumbai, majority of the people cannot read nor write let alone speak English. The only way to communicate with taxi drivers is through an interpreter or use drawings and hands. Hunger and poverty are the daily experience in this overpopulated town of Mumbai former Bombay. Every evening when I came back from the conference hall I could see youth in the squatter camps pushing old trolleys selling vegetables and fish. Tourists are their biggest customers because they increase the prices of their products and get more rupees (Indian currency). Indeed it's been a wonderful experience to do the live English broadcast for Amarc Simbani Africa in an international forum such as the World Social Forum. It was also challenging for me because our co-ordinator Yoro Sengare was expecting miracles from me as an award winning journalist. I was responsible for every second of our broadcast. I also got an opportunity to chat with my fellow Zimbabwean award winning Journalist David Deve.We discussed the political situation in Zimbabwe and in South Africa. I also rubbed shoulders with multi awards journalists and Human rights activists from Africa and abroad, thanks to Khwezi, for if it was not for Khwezi I would have not got this golden opportunity. The experience has taught me that you don't need a ladder to climb on the hill to shine, 'You can shine where you are.' even in a small community radio like Khwezi you can shine. Special salute to Amarc the world Association of Community Broadcasters for paying all the expenses of our trip to India. Photo: Daniel Wunderlich go to: top of page back to: home page