YoD Event in Watamu, Kenya
The YoD partners Kenya, TUI and Pollmans Tours & Safaris, in collaboration with Turtle Watch and Turtle Bay Beach Resort, organized an awareness day on the YoD for tourism stakeholders, boat operators, fishermen and the schoolchildren.
The launch was officiated by the TUI
Kenya Resort Manager, Armagan Gunaydin and Pollmans Tours & Safaris Special
Projects Executive, Abdulaziz Abdalla and with our collaborating partners,
Sally Mullens of Charlie Claws and Graham Corti of Global Vision International.
The day’s activities included an outstanding performance by 240 schoolchildren
from 16 schools, articulating the plight of dolphins and need for concerted
efforts to protect the dolphins through stage plays, poems and songs and
appealed directly to the attending Beach Management Unit (BMU), the present
fishermen, the Watamu Association of Boat Operators (WABO) and tourism
stakeholders, asking them to engage in responsible activities to ensure a safe
environment for our marine life and unpolluted seas.
The climax of the event was the
performance presented by pupils of Gede Special School, all of whom are
handicapped children, who cannot speak but staged an emotional play appealing
for dolphin protection. The art exhibition of drawings on dolphins and the
messages they carried not only testified to the resourcefulness of the
schoolchildren but their comprehension of the plight of the dolphins and
threats to our seas.
The Watamu Association of Boat Operators Chairman received the code of conduct from the Kenya Wildlife Service representative and gave assurance to the audience that the Association’s activities would henceforth conform to the recommendations contained in the code of conduct on responsible wildlife watching practice.
More drawings made by the children can be found in our Virtual Sea!
More Pictures taken at the event:
