On the 1st of May 2022 Climate Operation launched SPACES, a series of workshops aimed at giving young people safe spaces to have conversations around how the climate crisis is impacting them, what they are doing to adapt to these impacts and further discuss solutions they envision for a safer cleaner environment.
The young activists who pioneered the first SPACE were Crispus Mwemaho a climate activist working with internally displaced persons in Kasese district in Uganda that have been affected by floods and Andrew Ndyaguma a youth activist working hard in the slums of Kampala to change peoples perceptions on youth homelessness.
Andrew and Crispus both shared how their causes intersect with Andrew relating to how young children and youth are facing severe health impacts in slums arising from poor waste management, plastic pollution and poor drainage systems. Crispus then talked about how due to the floods in Kasese district and the internal displacement this has caused, families are now facing detrimental mental and physical health impacts.
On solutions, both these young activists shared how with collective engagement, they are mobilising resources in the form of clothes, food stuffs and money to elevate their communities statuses. They also encouraged the young people in attendance to start volunteering and engaging themselves in social activism as it's really fulfilling and purposeful work.
From this first SPACE, we have initiated the first step towards engaging young people in climate conversations in Uganda.
The concept of the climate crisis is still quite abstract to them because it’s such a lived experience and we hope that with this platform they not only get to share their experiences with each other but also start conversations around relatable solutions.
Crispus is the founder of AbayuutiAction a youth-led organisation focusing on involving young people in climate initiatives and pioneering climate justice in Uganda. Andrew is the founder of Creative Generation Foundation, a youth-led organisation working towards aiding young people facing homelessness in the streets of Kampala.
