Brian, in his usual style gives us the latest in the field of youth and road safety initiatives in Africa! This month, Brian’s focus is on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims and its commemoration across Africa. He observes that the day was wholeheartedly embraced across the region and he give us a synopsis of road safety action across Africa.
Hello! Bonjour! If you haven’t heard about it, you gotta check your pulse right now, because you may be dead! The date was Sunday, 18th November 2012. Yeah, we talk about ‘dates’ and you guys are already thinking of ‘dating’, ‘birthdays’…to some, ‘Christmas’…hahaha, I got you no? We are talking about the World Day for Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims. Ladies & gentlemen, Brian’s Column- your Africa update road safety column is here! Please be seated! I thank you…
For generations, I have not seen a day (except Christmas & Eid el Fitri) celebrated across Africa with soooo much solidarity, passion, flair, culture and modernity than the World Day for Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims! Yes…! You couldn’t miss the sight of regional/provincial/district traffic officers during the whole event. In fact, one would wonder why all of a sudden, we are finding it easier to persuade the government’s traffic department to actively participate in road safety activities. Could it be because African country governments want to show to the masses that they care considering that many countries will be voting their next presidents in a few years time? Wait a minute, or couldn’t it be that, the governments have seen the private sector partnering with the local advocacy NGOs on road safety to make our roads and road users safe?…something that is the work of our governments? Leave alone, the government talk! Let’s get to the core! Are you ready for your flights? Allons-y!
West Africa could be that region of the continent that could have won the most active-region award during the commemoration of World Day of Remembrance for Road traffic victims! The Gambian Youth through the National Youth Parliament among other activities took to the media and made a press release calling for everyone to be safe on the roads. Benin (Alignon), Niger (ONG Fondei Ma Bori), Mali (Mali Youth Association), Ivory coast (Fondation Djigui La Grande Esoerance) , Togo, Cameroun (Securoute Afrique) and Nigeria (Federal Road Safety Corps) have a track record of very active youth led organizations in road safety! You can visit their official websites for the news bulletins. Truthfully, they don’t surprise us for the awesome work they are doing! We can only say…keep the candle burning comrades!!!!!! Tres bien! Tres bien
In Namibia Save Zambia’s RRTV day theme, GRSP-Za & Bridge Stone Awareness Team in Johannesburg
Let’s go to Southern Africa! As usual, South Africa and Namibia through the Namibian Road Safety Fund National Road Safety Council (Namibia) held the most attended to remembrance sessions. SAVE Zambia conducted an awareness session with young people deciding to act because they are the most vulnerable!
The events commemorated in Egypy, Somalia, and Ethiopia.
Coming to North Africa…Egypt’s youthful radio presenter and road safety advocate Mohhammen Yassin held a record of three-hour 4 public talk shows…which according to his page Road Safety in Egypt – أمان الطريق في مصر, reached out to 3500 people! Don’t you want to clap your hands for this 29 year old? In Ethiopia (another country where I’m going to be based for the next 1 year), young people in Addis Ababa under the Yala Youths Association used a cultural approach to awareness. They offered a free theatre-show that portrayed road safety victims as people who are our heroes and should motivate us for greater heights. The function was presided over by the provincial safety coordinator- a representative of the president in the province. Sudan held its first ever national road safety event by launching and freely airing the ‘Drive Safely’ movie directed and staring young women-something that has never happened before! This was calling for male drivers to be mindful and remember they have a family to take care of! What an event? Shukrannn to the Arab family and KIA motors! And for those who thought Somalia is only a battlefield, no thanks. Through the Mogadishu Youth Association and Mogadishu Metropolitan Traffic Police, a colourful ceremony was held to create awareness on keeping and observing the high way code on the now good looking city of Mogadishu! We can expect a lot from this country!
Event in Kenya (left), Right in Uganda (A volunteer gives out a ‘Speeding Kills’ brochure to motorcyclist.
The flight tour ends in eastern Africa where Kenya Red Cross, YOURS-Kenya in partnership with the local traffic police conducted a safety drive along the busy streets of Nairobi! In Uganda, the Red Cross in Mbarara organized an awareness stakeholders meeting that was attended to by 122 delegates drawn from communication companies, NGOs and the government from western Uganda. This was an initiative to make the day more known to the stakeholders. In Tanzania, a group of students from University of Dar –es-salaam decided to re-paint a zebra crossing at their university. In Rwanda- the only country where a citizen can arrest a reckless driver, there was an awareness workshop in their Capital Kigali. The minister of transport was the guest of honor for the training workshop that attracted 222 delegates including motorcycle drivers associations.
Clearly, you could see that more and more countries are beginning to realize the importance of ‘getting the road safety message to the community’ through various approaches of media, matches, cultural dances etc. That’s one area that has improved very fast. You also realize that, the implementing bodies have also begun to ‘partner’ with the road users, the government bodies and the private institutions! And most importantly, using the ‘peer’ approach in sending road safety messages home.
We (as Africa) are not perfect yet, in fact, there are still more gaps than they are in the mouth of a 90 year old, but we can keep our heads up considering the achievements that the continent is making. I didn’t forget to say that, a generation of young leaders in road safety is masterminding these road safety initiatives in Africa. Much respects to #YOURS But who won? I am not sorry for keeping you waiting to answer this question! Ha-ha…but as you know, one of the indicators of effectiveness of any intervention is the impact that it does and how sustainable it is. I am afraid we gonna have the results next year, same time…don’t kill me now! (Waves) Until next time…#STAYSAFE