A grassroots campaign has been launched in Uganda to get climate change onto the school curriculum.

Led by Compassion Coalition Uganda and a growing network of ambassadors in schools and universities, the movement hopes to raise a generation of environment activists through lessons on climate awareness and mitigation.

So far the initiative has delivered awareness raising sessions in Kyambogo and Muteesa Royal I Universities, recruiting young people to act as champions for action on climate change and engaging them in practical activities – like tree planting – to tackle it. They intend to establish hubs in 14 universities in total.

The Ugandan environment is vital not just to the Ugandan people but the world. The country is one of the most biodiverse in Africa – but much of that biodiversity is now under threat.

Through a combination of climate change and agricultural development, a quarter of Uganda’s forests were lost between 2000 and 2020 and biodiversity is retreating at 10% per year. As a result the country is becoming increasingly susceptible to drought, landslides, and flooding.

Gyaviira Kaleebu, director of this new initiative, hopes that by educating young people on the importance of the natural world and giving them practical skills to protect it, it will be possible not only to preserve Uganda’s biodiversity but limit the threat of climate change.

Gyaviira said; “Action starts with awareness. When we go into schools and universities and talk to young people about the importance of our environment, how we depend on it, and how it is being destroyed, I see them begin to change. It’s like flicking on a thousand switches. They see with powerful clarity the need for action and they want to be involved in delivering it.

“But we can’t do this alone. To reach every young person will require support from the government and education bodies. We need them to take seriously the threat this country faces from climate change and the vital role that young people can play in mitigating it. That is why our Ambassadors are calling for a nationwide program of climate awareness. We are all wired for compassion – to care about our world and the people in it. We just need to help everyone understand the power they have to create a future where people and the planet are valued and cared for.”

Mamphela Ramphele, Chair of the Global Compassion Coalition, said; “Africa is on the frontline of the climate crisis. 7 of the world’s 10 most climate-vulnerable nations are on the African continent. But Gyaviira and his team are showing that there is hope. We are a young population. We are home to some of the most biodiverse and nature-rich environments on the planet. If we can mobilize our millions of young people and help them to use the resources they have to not only protect but improve and nurture our environment, we will be able to lead the fightback against climate change and the movement towards a climate-safe future.”