Climate Change Blog By Restless Dvelopment

Nakabuye Hilda Flavia from Kampala is a 22 year old climate activist and one of the at
organizers of Friday’s For Future Uganda. She is currently studying her bachelor’s degree in
Procurement and Supply chain management at Kampala International University and has been
joining the international School Strike for Climate Change.

We are facing a climate emergency; we need unprecedented global action because we are
running out of time. The only way to protect our generations future is by standing up and
speaking out. We are the first generation to know what we are doing and the last one to be
able to save it.

I started striking in January 2019. I first heard about the school strike for climate on Twitter
when I saw Greta Thunberg striking for Climate Action. After seeing Greta’s bold move to
school strike for climate, I also committed myself to missing classes on Friday to demand
Climate action and in February, I joined Fridays For Future Uganda.

I first learnt about climate change in a Youth for climate dialogue at my University organized
by Green Climate Campaign Africa in 2017. Together with other Green Campaigners we
started a chapter at our university to address Climate change to fellow students and demand
for urgent climate Action.

Uganda is a country based on agriculture but we are facing rising temperatures and very hot
weather conditions that are drying up our plantations causing poor harvests, food insecurity
and starvation. Animals are dying. Very heavy rainfalls are causing floods and landslides in
some parts of the country. Other areas are seeing no rainfall at all causing droughts and
outbreak of diseases among others. We recently felt the effects of the cyclone storm which
destroyed many people’s properties.

Governments need to declare climate emergencies in their countries just like UK did to create
awareness of this Climate Breakdown and take Action. Governments should ensure
sustainable development and aim to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and the IPCC
report. We need to reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible.

Despite being directly affected by the consequences of climate change, most Young people in
my country are not aware of the Climate breakdown we are facing because climate change is
not taught in schools. I engage with youth during my strikes and urge them to join me as we
demand for climate action.The government of Uganda should include Climate change in the
school syllabus to create its awareness right from childhood to all levels of education because
climate change affects us all regardless of age, religion, sex, status.

One of the challenges I face is the slow inaction and response from public, our governments
and policy makers in my country towards climate Action. Sometimes the community does not
support me in my strikes because I disagree with some of their activities such as disposal of
waste in lakes and rivers, car washing on lake shores.

Climate Strikes are a way for us young people to express what we feel and demand what we
need to have which is a safe environment. As the strikes gain momentum they are helping to
gain our government's attention and push them to act. Some people thought the movement
was political but due to my community and public engagements with them, they understand
the motive of the movement. Social media is helping us create massive awareness and most
people give me an audience when I speak during my strikes.

I believe that my actions and attitudes represent other people in Uganda. Fridays For Future
Uganda recently tabled our demands to policy makers and will be recognized in Uganda’s
climate action plans.

We hope to see change.

Article by Poppy Bullen. / Restless Development.