Over the years, climate change has increasingly become a global burden however the question still remains, what can we do to change that? What role can you play to reduce its adverse effects and create a sustainable environment for future generations?
Evelyne Acham is one individual who is mitigating the catastrophic impacts of climate change in order to provide effective solutions to this global hindrance.
“I grew up not knowing about climate change until 2019 when I saw my fellow activist, Vanessa Nakata do her individual protesting in front of the parliament and the streets of Kampala. I was not aware of climate change but when I started seeing all these protests, I got very curious about the placards, why she was holding the placard, and her reason,” Acham narrates how she began her activism.
At only 32 years old, this Ugandan activist has become a household name as she champions climate justice. She has organized several climate strikes and campaigns with the Rise Up Movement, where she works as a national coordinator. Acham is also a member of #FridaysForFuture, a youth-led and organized movement that began in August 2018 with the aim of overcoming the climate crisis by taking action against it.
She also founded the Plus One tree project which involves the distribution and planting of fruit trees in homes and in schools.
“Our target is to plant nine million fruit trees around Uganda because I realized that it’s very hard for Ugandans to cut down fruit trees, it’s easier for someone to cut down a tree that does not provide food for them,” Acham says.
So why is climate justice so important to her?
“I feel it is important to amplify this message because very many people do not know that the climate crisis is not affecting people equally, some people are being affected more than others, so it’s an opportunity for me to speak up for the people that cannot speak for themselves,” she explains.
Achievements
In 2021, she attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference and represented Fridays for Future Most Affected People and Areas (MAPA). Acham was also featured in The New York Times’ 2021 Climate Hub discussion “Passing the Torch: Intergenerational Climate Dialogues”. She became a Global Witness Advisory Council member in 2022. She was voted among the 100 women creating a better Africa in 2023 and also attended and spoke at COP26 in Scotland, the inauguration ceremony of the mayor of Grenoble in France, and speaker at the Austrian world summit and Youth Climate Conservation Summit at Princeton University.
Learn more about Evelyn Acham’s journey on Shangazi Power here: