Monday, March 10, 2025

Ethiopian Flight 302 (ET302)

It is now six years since an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane went down just outside Addis Ababa, killing 157 passengers and crew. It was the morning of March 10th, 2019, and the ill-fated Nairobi-bound flight was ET302. Here is what i posted on my Facebook page that day:

ET703:
After an intense but immensely rewarding international conference on Religions and the Sustainable Development Goals at the Vatican, I made my way to Fiumicino. I have had the experience of missing a flight there some years ago, so I was pretty early on Saturday 9th. The check in and bag drop off counter was not open yet. I found a spot to chill until the check in desks opened. By now, there was already a dozen or so people. From the conversations of some Italians in the business class queue, I figured they were flying to Nairobi. Check in complete, i proceeded to the gate. I tried to look out for someone I had met at the conference. Victor Tsang. He had mentioned he would be on ET703 as well. A lot of work awaited at the UN Environment Assembly. I didn't see him. It's a huge plane with lots of people. ET703 lands at Bole International at Addis at about 6.25am.

ET302:
If you have transited through Bole, then you know it is a tough airport to navigate. The sheer number of people going through security and boarding gates, clearly overwhelms at times, both the facilities and staff. My connecting flight to Nairobi, ET304 is not scheduled to leave until 11.20am. It is still 7.20am, so information about which gate ET304 will board from, is not yet available on the information screens. So naturally, I go to gate 12, where ET302 to Nairobi, departing at 8.25am, is boarding from. At this point, I'm thinking, "when boarding information for ET304 is finally available, it cannot be too far from gate 12." I listen and watch nonchalantly as the final boarding calls for ET302 are made. There is a flight to Moroni boarding at the adjacent gate.

ET304:
It's now 10.50am. I had already found out, an hour earlier, that ET304 would board at gate 20. I went back upstairs. Suddenly at 10.55am, am announcement is made that ET304 to Nairobi is boarding from gate 18. Change of boarding gate. I make my way to gate 18 and soon, I am settling into seat 16L. It is a window seat, and I can see the last bags being loaded. Pre departure announcements are made. Then we wait..10..15..20 minutes.

                                        View from Seat 16L on Flight ET304, March 10th 2019


I hardly notice the time pass as I have fallen asleep already. I'm roused from my sleep by seemingly animated conversations by the passengers behind. They are talking about a plane crash. We are already 45 minutes delayed with no word from the captain or cabin crew. Some passengers are now receiving calls...others are making calls. They are all talking about a plane crash. Then spontaneously, 6 or 7 passengers open the overhead luggage cabins and take their hand luggage, heading for the exit. Confusion reigns. No word from cabin crew. Silence from the cockpit. More news from passengers. ET302 crashed and with no survivors. More frantic calls. I try to text and call home but somehow my roaming doesn't seem to work. More passengers disembark. Through my window, I can see the luggage truck turning up. Some luggage is being offloaded. Then the captain's voice comes through the speakers: "we apologize for the delay, but will be on our way as soon as luggage has been offloaded. Luggage cannot fly without passengers". It is another 45 minutes before the push back of the plane starts. Cabin crew distribute water to passengers. 115 minutes later, we land at JKIA, Nairobi. There is rapturous applause. The relief is palpable.

Then as suddenly as the applause started, silence and a somber atmosphere engulfs the cabin as we taxi to the gate. The reality, shock, and pain of ET302 now takes centre stage. This evening, I learnt that Victor Tsang was onboard ET302. As was Karim Saafi and all the passengers and crew, some of whom I stood with at the check-in queue at Fiumicino, that didn't make it.

May God grant them eternal peace. In memory of ET302.

Friday, February 28, 2025

Yale University: The Jeanie Graustein Lecture on Environmental Justice

Mama i made it!! I spoke at Yale University! Yes, Yale, the one in New Haven Connecticut, United States of America!


What an honour it was to be invited to speak at the St. Thomas More, Catholic Chapel and Center at Yale University, to deliver the 2024 Jeanie Graustein Lecture on Environmental Justice. I know you missed the livestream of the event, so here is the video link to my presentation: Enjoy!



Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Yemi Alade at the UN

How often do you get to experience a great live concert, inside the United Nations plenary assembly hall in New York? Well, i had the honour to be in the house when Nigerian songstress, Yemi Alade, gave a beautiful performance, as part of the official opening ceremony of the SDG Action weekend in September 2023. 

The world is way off target in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the United Nations convened the SDG Action weekend and the SDG Summit in 2023, to emphasize the urgency and galvanize action.



Will the world succeed to realize the goals ahead of 2030? In the meantime, enjoy the music!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

An African Perspective on the Next Pope

Just a few hours before the election of Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, who takes the name Pope Francis, this article offering an African Perspective on the Next Pope, was published in the 'Millenial'.

'Millenial' is a project of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good – an online journal and blog that provides world-class Catholic opinion and analysis on the most pressing issues of our times in politics, religion, and culture.  It aims to move beyond partisan and ideological divisions, bringing together all those who support the global common good and the worth and dignity of the human person.

It will be interesting to see how this perspective matches up!

Habemus Papam!

Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum; habemus Papam:

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Georgium Marium.

Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bergoglio

qui sibi nomen imposuit Franciscum

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Interview by a Catholic Ecologist: Hope in Africa: Catholic youth work for sustainability

A few days ago,i was deeply honoured to be interviewed by William L. Patenaude, a Catholic Ecologist who live and works in the state of Rhode Island in the United States of America.

William (or Bill), is a committed Catholic Ecologist-an environmental engineer who holds a Master of Arts in Theology- a man who loves the Church and is keen to promote care for creation. William writes widely and has a new book, "Catholic Ecology in Orthodoxy, a Culture of Life, and the New Evangelization.", coming soon!

Mr. William Patenaude

Below is his introduction to the e-interview; please click here to re-direct to the full interview on his blog: Catholic Ecology. Thank you Bill for your help with making the efforts of CYNESA known across the US and the world! Asante sana!

Allen Ottaro of Kenya is Executive Director of Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa. At 28, he’s traveled and done more than many twice his age. Allen (or Al, as his friends call him) is the face of the African continent’s future—a future of thriving economies and cultures as well as the preservation of its identity, its abundant natural, beautiful resources, and its soul. 

Al is a true Catholic ecologist. Because he was kind enough to share some of his thoughts and experiences, I am delighted to share them with you.

[Update (December 4): The following interview takes on even more value given recent statements by Bishop Bernard Kasanda of Mbuji-Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bishop 
Kasanda has condemned the international community for failing to react to unrest and invasions caused by factions seeking control of mineral and oil resources. Read here for more.]