Formed in 2019, the initiative has been able to promote literacy and change the mindset of youths toward protecting the earth through the establishment of Environmental clubs .
Since 2019, the initiative has been able to visit 15 schools and planted over 50,000 trees leading to the restoration of degraded landscapes
Patricia Kombo is a climate change and Adaptation master’s student at the University of Nairobi. She started the initiative in 2019 while at University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communications and Journalism. Her idea was born after volunteering to visit the Northern part of the country during the Kenyans for Kenya initiative, a collaborative approach by Kenyans to support communities who were being impacted by droughts.
At that time, Patricia was training as a journalist, but with the climate crisis right there in front of her, Patricia knew she couldn’t just stand by and watch the crises unfold and report the devastating news of suffering brought by droughts. It was the beginning of an incredible, life-changing journey.
‘’One thing especially struck me was when a child I was interviewing told me that he was used to the droughts, that it was a normal life for him. I compared it to my own childhood and asked myself, What can I do to help him and others so that they understand that what they were experiencing was not normal, but the result of climate change? And the idea of environmental literacy was born
Communities are not changed by words but by action. We need to translate those promises of climate Action into real action.
Achievements
- Recognized as a Land Hero by United Nations Convention To Combat Desertification in 2020
- Awarded the Youth of The Year, Top35Under35 in the Environment category in Kenya
Climate Events
- In 2021, Invited as a youth speaker during the 15th Conference of Parties to UNCCD in Ivory coast.
- Invited as a speaker during the commemoration of World Day to Combat Drought in Spain under the theme: Rising Up From Drought Together.
