My Speech as presented at the Medicines San Frontieres OCA CAFE 2019 Amsterdam

I started on a mission to protect the only planet we call home. I joined millions of fellow young activists to demand urgent climate action. The fight I took on is not about to end. I will do everything within my power to protect the lakes and rivers of Uganda, to defend the tropical forests in my country and above all fight any kind of environmental injustice anywhere. This is a mission am prepared to do at any cost.

  CLIMATE CHANGE A HUMANITARIAN CRISIS.

Climate change is the first common challenge we have in the history of this world. We are already late for action meaning we need urgent climate action. The climate crisis is affecting humanity and the entire ecosystem. We cannot afford to wait any longer. There is danger in delaying climate action. Our inaction is putting everything at risk. Climate refugees are increasing; diseases like, malaria, cholera among others are on the rise and have been linked to climate change given the increasing temperatures. The health of our people is at risk if we marginalize climate change as only an environmental issue.

The climate crisis is a health crisis, and the effects of this crisis are clearly portrayed in the status of the patients MSF doctors help to serve. Our natural systems breakdown and our days to survive on this planet depend on how fast we act towards this emergency.
Air pollution is not only adding to the carbon content in the atmosphere, but it’s a lead cause of diseases and death especially in poor countries. In Uganda, importation of old used vehicles and bad roads mostly affected by floods is affecting millions of urban resident’s health.
Raising temperatures and heat waves means that many people more so in Agro-based countries like mine will not be able to raise income and have access to good health. Coffee which is Uganda’s largest export cannot thrive in such climatic conditions; the heat is causing droughts in Kenya’s turkana land and north east districts of Uganda and thus starvation. This intensifies health issues, and increases the risk to malnutrition. Many tropical diseases like malaria have been attributed to the increasing global heat. This disease has claimed more lives of young people below 15 years of age.

Regards humanitarian concern

For action, the societies most affected by climate change are habitats of the poor that can cope with the problem and that contribute the least to greenhouse emissions. For Uganda, we have increasing street children and adult flocking urban centers running from drought infected areas. All they find are trenches, sheets, old houses to live in. some are young girls who are raped by men; It is an open secret for these girls to give birth at 14 years. When you ask why they are running to town, they will tell you because we can’t farm anymore, no rain, no water, no pasture and no food.  We need to take action now to save people’s lives and societies from breaking down as well as the future generation.
Partnerships are important.

We need collective action to address climate change. There is need to build collaboration and capacity, in this case for Fridays for future Uganda, we are a student and youth led platform who really can’t do much on our own but we are trying our best to create change.
My self, am part of efforts to beat plastic pollution on the shores of Lake Victoria, this is to create clean healthy communities and as well as fight the plastic danger to our water bodies and aquatic life. I survive on my own pocket money together with my friends to implement such an activity, but little is still done yet we are running out of time. In order to scale up the program into a better project, we need to work with others.

Partnerships facilitate exchange and sharing of resources that the other party may not have. The societies more vulnerable to the danger cannot survive the conditions. So we can sit down and watch our selves doing all this mass. Everybody can take action to save our environment, rich or poor, young or adult, at least change your behavior by reducing your carbon footprint.
Powerful thought / question. 

Ladies and gentlemen our planet is ill. If you do not care about the environment at least care about us the children and generations to come. How do you even say you care about children when you have no heart for the environment?  This is not a matter of choosing between optimist and pessimism, it is a matter of choosing between action and inaction. I urge everyone here to take climate action now, whether you do it or not, me and fellow youth will not give up.
I thank you.
Nakabuye Hilda Flavia, Organizer Fridays For Future Uganda.

A Letter from mother nature.

The Glory of the pearl is needed back, Mother Nature is craving for its right. The coming generation demands for a right to see the light

 Letter from mother nature

I provide life to you I deserve the best for my stay. For I am the source of your survival, I demand a reward. A mother plans whats best for her baby and provides according to the love. A baby's survival depends and lies on the mother's decision.

I provide life to you I deserve the best for my stay, only the strong and healthy can make it to their destiny. So if I am killed by your own making, then how will I be able to reach and make it to your expectations? I have warned you several times but you are paying a deaf ear.

Stand fair to me and my fruits will support the coming generation. You reap what you saw, blame me not for the tears of my grief, although it's never too late. I can still stand a chance for my survival.

The foundation of the coming generation is laid by bricks of their elders who have a few chances of their survival tomorrow if they do not take on their responsibility now. But I have been their for you, generation after generation I have been providing and the reward I gain is the least care and protection from you. So if am killed now, What will the coming generation get from my fruits and how are they assured of their survival?

I have played my part to provide life to you to make it out for centuries of years and enjoy the fruits of my making, but due to your own greed, my fruits are buried young and you will reap your own death.

It's not me that needs your protection, if you need to live well, then it's paramount that you take care of me and your life will form  upon me. You have a choice to decide now, whether to act now and live or to reap your own death.

presented as my speech on world environment day 5th june 2019 by Nakabuye Hilda Flavia.

WHY I STRIKE FOR CLIMATE, AND WHY YOU NEED TO JOIN ME.

“I am striking for climate” Since 2017, Hilda Flavia Nakabuye has been working with a team of six friends to organize the Fridays  for Future Uganda campaign. The campaign focuses on climate change issues, demanding action  from leaders, corporate bodies and communities to tackle climate change. “Growing up as a young girl in Wakiso district in Central Uganda, I saw the effects of climate change on my community,” Nakabuye says.  “I did not know what precise ly this was and what the causes were, until I attended  the Green Climate Campaign Africa dialogue at Kampala International University in  2017.” For Nakabuye,  listening to the causes and consequences of climate change and the speakers’ conclusion that little was  being done to tackle the  problem ‘broke [her] spirit’. “I was surprised to learn that the effects we were facing in our  community were because of climate change. I felt terrible after knowing this but, at the same time, I also felt the determination to play a part in finding the solution,” she adds. In 2018, Nakabuye and  friends launched a Green Climate Campaign chapter at Kampala International University where they campaigned for a clean environment. They have so far motivated over 70 other students to join in  their campaign. Since then, every Friday she stages a school strike for climate on the streets of  Kampala, in public places and communities to emphasize the need for urgent action. She also carries  out awareness raising on climate change in communities, schools and social gatherings. “In January  2019, inspired by the Fridays4future movement campaign of Swedish climate activist Greta  Theunberg, I mobilized my friends and we started the Fridays4Future Uganda campaign in Kampala,” Nakabuye adds. One of her flagship campaigns is the weekly lake shore clean up where she mobilizes  her friends to pick plastics and biodegradable waste along the shores of Lake Victoria. She also  created Climate Striker Diaries, an online platform where she informs her readers of her engagement  in the climate strike in an attempt to inspire more people to join the movement. Nakabuye says that  she “strives to encourage more students in particular and youths in general to join, so that together we can add our voices to call on political leaders to declare a climate emergency and take action to combat climate change.” She also calls on community members to take individual and collective responsibility to reduce their  carbon footprint; and on youths to stand up, speak out, and fight for their future by joining the Fridays4future Uganda movement. At 22, like many of her fellow campaigners, Nakabuye refuses to be silent and watch the environment continuously degraded by the effects of climate change.  “Giving up is not an option, action no matter how small is required until someone somewhere hears  our appeal”, she insists. complied by OHCHR.org #WorldEnvironmentDay.

Nakabuye Hilda Flavia, this young climate activist who challenges Museveni

Present at We Love Green, the greenest festival in France, Nakabuye Hilda Flavia intends to make Uganda's voice heard internationally.

By Eva Sauphie

Modified 31/05/2019 at 16:12 - Published on 31/05/2019 at 14:15 | The Point.fr

Nakabuye Hilda Flavia not only raises the awareness of young people in her country, she engages in the global fight involving young people from other countries. 

© DR

• 
  

If Sweden has 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, a climate change leader who has become a global icon, Uganda has Nakabuye Hilda Flavia. Like her European counterpart, this 22-year-old economics student launches weekly calls for a strike under the now-famous "Fridays for Future", via the Kampala International University. Aim for Nakabuye Hilda Flavia and the thousands of young activists who have paraded around the world during the global climate march (15 March and 24 May 2019): make this issue a political priority.

Early climate activism ...

The activist attached to the Green Planet Africa association has already sent concrete demands to the climate change department of the Ugandan Ministry of Environment. "We want to declare the climate and ecological emergency in Uganda, as the British Parliament did at the beginning of May, to include a compulsory component on climate change in school curricula and to reduce the age of voting from 18 to 16 years old. . Not surprising given the average age of activists. 14-year-old Leah Namugerwa, 17-year-old Bob Matovu, 16-year-old Warlda Mirembe ... So many under-age students who have been calling the Hasidag government Museveni on the Web hoping for a better future for their country as they approach the presidential election of 2021.

In Kampala, young people question the authorities on their application of the ParisAgreements on the climate.

© DR

... and justified by the Ugandan reality

Yet known for its stable and mild climate, with temperatures ranging from 1 to 2 degrees above or below 23 degrees, Uganda is largely impacted by climate change. Floods and plastic pollution are some of the country's major problems, but that's not counting the unusual temperature rises, which have caused droughts in the country for more than a year. And affect plant production and animal life. "My father is from Kyankole village in Masaka (Editor's note: located west of Lake Victoria). We usually go back regularly with my family. During my last visit, I noticed that all the plantations were dry and that there were no more cows, says Nakabuye Hilda Flavia. We had to do our food shopping in a mini market, which had never happened before. Especially since the food is very expensive. This environmental scourge is therefore not without consequences for the country's economy, which is essentially based on agriculture. According to the World Bank, the agricultural sector accounts for more than 24.6% of total GDP (April 2019) and more than 50% of the value of total exports, according to the World Bank.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations .

Lake Victoria is at the forefront of environmental issues. Nakabuye Hilda Flavia and the young people around her do not miss any opportunity to demonstrate.

© DR

Nakabuye Hilda Flavia locally involved

Also, the girl is at the forefront of the movement and contributes to change through local and participatory initiatives on social networks. With the movement # 7dayschallengeuganda (the 7-day challenge in Uganda), she invites youth with a green thumb to mobilize for the planet, in the field, as in the fishing village of Nakiwogo, bordering Lake Victoria, where young activists gathered to plant trees. During the strike movements, it is armed with a sign "Save our planet, save our future, the temperatures in Uganda climb. Let mama Africa Green "sensitize the inhabitants. "Since we joined the movement led by Greta Thunberg, Ugandans are more and more to join us, certifies the student.

The mobilization of Nakabuye Hilda Flavia also goes through social networks.

© DR

Growing mobilization around environmental issues

Last March, the mobilization gathered some 150 people in Kampala, according to Nakabuye Hilda Flavia, while the call to the May strike federated a dozen more people. Figures in progress, but which may seem derisory in comparison with the European countries (tens of thousands for Paris, 10,000 in Berlin and London in March) or South Africa (2,000 estimated participants in the Parliament of Cape Town Town and a little more in Pretoria last March).

Africa, until now little mobilized, is however ready to join the climatic cause. Along with Uganda, then, and South Africa with Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, Kenya (Nairobi) has slowly followed suit. However, the environmental activist wants to emphasize that the fight for climate remains a global movement. "The different countries must interact and unite to make their voices heard across geographical borders," argues the one that will be present in France at the festival We Love Green alongside other representatives of the new generation climate .

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.

Wake Up Africa, Act on Climate Change

       In the morning hours, the weather was sunny with motives high for climate action.  We jumped into a taxi and headed to Ggaba market an area around the shores of Lake Victoria, it unites a lot of people from far and wide, who come and carry out very many activities for example; fishing, tourism and some commercial activities among others. This shows how populated the area is with a high consumption of goods taking place and wastes generated, 70% of garbage collected in this area is food wastes. We chose this location because the rate at which waste is generated is alarming causing water, land and air pollution which deteriorates both environment and human health.

The strikers stage a joint display of their messages.

We started writing our information boards to get ready for our strike, everyone with a message reading “Tomala gasuula kasasiro, tukuume obutonde bwensi #KeepMamaAfricaGreen”, which means we should stop dumping waste to protect our environment (Nakabuye Hilda Flavia), Adong Cicilly Ben held a placard that read “Dear Africa, lets us shift our reliance on fossil fuels to renewable energy. Achieve 100% ZERO EMISSIONS, yours #SchoolStrike4Climate. While Irene Kananura held a placard saying “Dear leaders act on #climate change now”.

I engaged with locals about waste disposal

A message in Luganda, about waste disposal

During our strike, we engaged with the public as we explained to them the messages in different local languages for them to understand. Majority were appreciative and understood our cause while a few were discouraging as one man asked for legal proof of us openly striking but that didn’t stop us from proceeding with our strike. Luckily enough, we bumped into the Local Chairperson of Ggaba towards the end of our strike, he like our movement and encouraged us to continue with the good work.

Dear youth it’s never too late to join us as we save our earth, let’s all unite and make a difference now because we do not have much time left. We demand climate action now.

Compiled by Climate Strikers at  Fridays For Future - Uganda  

Hear me too - Our lakes are in crisis.

Not like all Fridays, today I felt something special, at around 11am EAT I got hold of my placard together with fellow strikers Nirere Sadrach and Adong Cicily Ben. We jumped into a taxi and headed to the lake shores. This time the shores were quite busy but that didn't stop us from striking, it added us more vigor to create more awareness. Together with students from Precious Hill Christian High school we stated our strike. After one hour of standing in the scorching sun, we started engaging with residents and people in the market. Some were positive while other discouraged us.

Speaking to students of Precious Christian High school

 At around 1:30 pm EAT we stated the lake pickup were were joined by one of the leaders of the Fishermen at the shores called Peter. This time we collected around 10 -12kgs of plastic waste that was dumped in the lakes. This included polythene bags, plastic bottles, metallic bottle covers and metallic containers some of which were dated 2005.This showed us how reluctant people alongside the lake shores are towards preserving these natural resources. We cleaned up the lake shores  while putting plastic waste in big plastic bags.

Over 12kgs of plastic waste collected after the pickup.

Lake Victoria (Nalubaale) is Africa's largest inland fishery and also the world's 9th largest continental lake with a maximum depth of between 80 and 84 meters and an average depth of 40 meters. It being a fresh water body its gifted with different fish species which include Nile Perch, Tilapia, Tiger Fish, Lung Fish, Cat Fish, Elephant Fish, Silver cyprinid, haplocromines among others. Tilapia is one of the latest species of lake Victoria that have contributed to boosting fishing around these shores. Fish species have continued to decline up to now due to human induced activities and a number of environmental issues.

During the pickup we discovered dead immature Tilapia fish that was trapped and suffocated to death in a polythene bag, such disposal of plastic in lakes and rivers is affecting aquatic life and greatly reducing the number of fish in our lakes and rivers. We were greatly touched by the death of this fish because lake Victoria has a shore line of 7142km, you can imagine how many fish die every day. At the end of our pickup we engaged with researchers from Netherlands that liked what we were and encouraged us to continue with our pickups to preserve our water bodies.

Uganda is an agro-based country, lakes and rivers are one of the natural resources that agriculture relies on implying that if we don't preserve these natural resources, agricultural productivity, food supply and security will be at risk. The limited access can affect our lives and cause health and nutritional suffering.

I urge fellow youth and lake shore communities on lake Victoria such as Kampala, Entebbe and Jinja in Uganda, Homa bay, Kendu bay and Kisumu in Kenya, Bukoba, Mwanza and Musoma in Tanzania to take personal and collective responsibility to preserve our lakes for they are in crisis.