MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND SWALLOWED BY MUND SLIDE , TREBLE STORM THAT KILLED HIS WHOLE FAMILY

Growing up i had a best friend called Cathy we enjoyed doing things together we went to the same school and we were in the same grade shared our sandwiches.. my dad and mom were tree planters they would grow tree seedlings then sell them for few cons. those who love and cherish trees would come buy them in bulk Cathy and i would help my parents with seedling planting , watering even name the trees but on the other hand Cathy's family didn't not like trees as we worked on trees my dad would talk about climate change how things have change , how he has witness change it strange weather but me being being a kid i would ask him do you think we will die from it ! he would be like may be ! then my mother would give him a side eye ! my parents planted tree every time they celebrated their achievement and name it our home had so many trees from tom to bottom few of our neighbors' had trees but most of them had just homes with no trees .planting trees made my parents popular they were known for supplying tree seedlings to events in my community they even gave them names for how much they love trees . one day something happened that changed my whole community strange strong winds that wont stop blowing followed by rain that was extra much then i thought about what my dad had shared with me that one day climate change is going to teach us a lesson it did not stop raining and as it continued raining things got worse and it was time we hid in the store with our chickens and goat my mother held me close to her because i was getting scared with all the funny noise from the storm , then the next thing i hear is a loud bang people screaming for help some of the screams were fading a way , my heart was beating so hard i ask my mother what is going on but she wont speak! the rain did not stop for another two hrs then suddenly it stopped! my dad stood up to go stare the next thing i hear is him saying no! my mother asked him what is it he said its seems Cathy's family have been swallowed by mudslide my mother held me so tight now that she knew how Cathy meant to me !it took me years to get over it i still see Cathy's empty desk i could hear her laugh and talk to me every night as i go to sleep and that motivated me to start a foundation in her honor on how to protect soil from climate change through planting trees my home having survived i used it to drive my message to my community and through the help of my parents and the NGO'S i was able to run events to different government institution to create a awareness even though i was faced by so many challenges that almost made me give up !i had no enough funds to run most my events, some thought i was looking for political position and kind of stuff but my hopes and determination did not die i used the little tools to drive the message in local language so everyone can be included in my program i was able to plant over 50'000 tree in my community in the honor of my best friend Cathy and his family that were never found i manage to visit schools donated trees to students and encourage them to name them after their favorite things and as we speak if you visit my village compared to the way it was 20 years there is a big difference ! the soil is firm and protected even when it rains with harsh wind nobody loses a house ,no more mudslides no floods and this is something i have always dream of doing in my community by making it better and safe place to live in with peace and harmony not worrying about what is nature going to do next , are we going to die i still think of Cathy now that i have my own family i still wish she was here so our kids would play together and plant trees together and name them then we make memories together. but i know and believe she live in my heart and watch all over me and all the projects she motivated me to do with the help of my parents , my community my friends both from home and abroad who support me to continue being the voice of climate change in my community and to the younger generation to come .her empty desk still haunt me to date i don't wish that on anyone especially a young mind that never forget Cathy story is my inspiration that life is here to be enjoyed everyday is a blessing because it can be taken a way from you in a blink of an i Cathy and i played for the last time before she laughed running home because it was coming to rain with a bye !!i had no idea nature was going to swallow my best friend hours later i wish i told her to stay with me at my house she could be a live but again she could be alone with nobody . i will never stop talking about my friend who died of an effect of climate change she will forever live in my heart and i will forever cherish her and never stop telling people to plant trees and take good care of them because trees saved my family and i ,my home and our animals , it held us together today my parents still plant tree and i think its only death that would stop them from enjoying their passion' climate change' is so so so real