Ddumba Gerald
- May 27, 2020
- 2 min read

Climate education and engagement should start at Home like cultural education

The climate crisis is growing day and night, Floods, seasonal changes, prolonged droughts, lakes water levels continue to rapidly rise; destructive crop pest and diseases as well human diseases continue to rise year in year out but state governments and communities continue to take less actions to contain the situation.

However, an awesome big growing array of optimistic and resilient young people across the globe doing a lot to demand for their health and sustainable Earth. They stage demonstrations claiming green actions from governments, innovate social action projects and technologies and other sacrifice their whole life to climate advocacy. This shows a great hope for the planet!

It is a great opportunity for me to reflect on this theme, "the relevance and role of young people in the present climate crisis". Its simple! Young people are the future, and there must be no climate action crisis action for young people without young people! They have exhibited their innovation and activism potentials in containing climate crisis and reinstating the environment. I can't continue without mentioning Vanessa Nakatte, Greta Thurmburg and many more. I therefore say that young people are vividly relevant and they have a great role to climate crisis because

They have exhibited their activism potentials and they are ready to continues! they only need support from states government to amplify their voices.
Their minds quickly think out of the box and they can try as many options as possible to make it through.
They make a bigger proportional of world's population! and Youths are the biggest de-foresters. Why should they destroy if can’t build? they need to be engaged and educated.

Tangibly, I think we need to engage young people in conducting grassroots-based climate action initiatives. Right from our families let conservation be a routine. Climate education should start at Home like culture education; Parents need to start talk to their children about climate crisis, and involve them in hands-on actions.

Looking at my conservation paths, experience tells that young people are ready to take climate action if given space to act, encouraged and supported. They always put building their homes, friends and community first. From one tree planting campaign, a child approached me and said “can you give me 2 trees so that I plant one at my home, and give one to my friend”. with these true-life experiences, I see hope and future for mother Earth with young people at forefront of advocacy.

I therefore commit my self to continue innovating and coordinating grassroots centered conservation initiatives/projects with young people at forefront of project hands-on activities to build their capacities and encourage their activism potentials. In this will tangibly create more volunteer opportunities, mentor more young conservationists, and raise voices of children demanding for a better planet through my networks.