Nalafem COP27 Delegation:
Young African Women Activists to amplify Africa’s voice in addressing the climate crisis
Nala Feminist Collective (Nalafem) with support from Malala Fund and Purposeful organization will be sponsoring 8 young African women activists to attend the UN Conference of Parties 27th Session Conference. The conference will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6th to 18th 2022.
During the summit, the activists will amplify women’s and girls’ voices on climate action issues to advocate for climate justice for the African continent.
Meet the outstanding young African women climate activists
Insaf Abdelmoula, Tunisia
Insaf is a fourth year medical student and climate activist. She recently launched her own youth initiative called Unite the World. Her goal is to develop young leaders by recognizing their potential and supporting them through coaching on how to address community issues and take action. She is also an ambassador for the 1MYAC, an initiative launched by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Susan Wavinya Wairimu, Kenya
Susan is a social change activist with a passion on sexual and reproductive health and climate justice issues.
She is the founder of Inspire Teenagers Foundation. She uses her platform to share her story and experience as a teen mom, giving hope to other teen mums.
The goal of her initiative is to end the high rates of teen pregnancies, end period shame in her community and advocate for girls’ education.
Victorine Nchokuno Ngimou, Cameroon
Victorine is a fierce feminist and girls rights activist, and for the last eight years has fought for girls’ rights, women empowerment and giving voice to the silenced.
She advocates for the advancement of girls education and clean water, sanitation and hygienic environment for girls in and out of school.
In 2014, she created and established a school club called Development Fighters that empowers young girls in Cameroon.
Her activism journey focuses on ending child marriage and aspires to lead an adolescents rights movement.
Mitchelle Mufaro Mhaka, Zimbabwe
Mitchelle is a Zimbabwean-born, Cape Town-based Computer Science and Applied Mathematics student, public speaker and activist spreading the word about the climate crisis and related social issues among the youth. She is a Programs Coordinator for the African Climate Alliance, a youth-led grassroots movement-based organization advocating for afrocentric climate justice. Mitchelle strives to climate literacy issues that exist in South Africa and to change the narrative around ideas of sustainability, decolonization and environmentalism that have been pushed by mainstream media.
Mthembukazi Zinyanda Layola Bavuma, South Africa
Mthembukazi is an activist and engages communities on the social, economic, and environmental injustices they face. She helps them understand how they can go about capacitating themselves with knowledge and resources that will aid them in climate crises and fight the social ills they face every day. Mthembukazi uses mentorship and education to empower her peers with the aim of collectively tapping into their full potential.
Zuhura Ahmadi Shaweji, Tanzania
Zuhura runs the Tanzania Youth Biodiversity Network Club at Sokoine university of agriculture. She is a volunteer with Environmental Watch Association Tanzania and Earth Day Network Tanzania. She raises environmental awareness in schools, communities and universities around Morogoro Municipality, and participates in planting trees and clean ups in campuses and raising awareness on girls education.
Joanita Babirye, Uganda
Joanita is a Co-founder at Girls For Climate Action, a movement that is putting young women and girls at the forefront of climate action. She also trains young women green preneurs in marginalized communities to start local green innovations. She serves as the UN Women youth Action Coalition leader under Generation Equality on Feminist Action For Climate Justice. She is an ardent advocate for the engagement of youths in policy formulation, strengthening and implementation. Joanita is an ardent climate justice advocate and currently pursuing her Master in environment and Natural Resources. In 2021, she was named as one of the most influential young Africans in civil society, climate action and leadership.
Esther Gabriella Kaunda, Malawi
Esther is a youth activist and the marketing and communications director of Green Girls Platform, a female-led initiative that works to address the violence that girls and women face due to Climate Change in Malawi. Esther was part of the PACE youth multimedia fellowship 2021 cohort. She enjoys voluntary work and working with the youth especially girls and young women to ensure that their rights in relation to climate change are fully realized. This is what inspired her zeal to be part of the platform for girls and young women in combating Climate Change in Malawi. Esther has also attended high level meetings like the National Climate Change adaptation conference, and was also part of the steering committee of the first ever local conference of youth in Malawi.
