Bravin (second from the right) and other young climate campaigners supported by Save the Children, unite during a panel discussion to speak about climate action and the need to include children's voices in such spaces during the Youth Leadership and Transformation Summit on Climate Change.

By Marion Kwambai, Dorothy Waweru and Diana Maweu

As the saying goes, “nothing for us, without us”, Save the Children believes that nothing for children can be achieved, without their full participation. As a child-rights organisation, the meaningful participation of children in the planning, implementation and evaluation of programming must be a cornerstone to our accountability and our work with localisation and local and national actors (L/NAs).

One way we are doing this is through our climate change programming. We believe that children are not just passive beneficiaries but active agents of change. Through our Generation Hope campaign, we are empowering children in climate action, ensuring their participation in an effort to forge a more holistic approach to addressing the climate crisis.

Across the continent, young people are doing progressive work in the quest for climate justice. The power of the youth in the climate governance spaces is slowly changing from only one of being on the streets, to actively being involved in the technocratic discussions and decision-making platforms which matter.

The Youth Leadership and Transformation Summit on Climate Change is an annual conference organizedby the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), aflagship effort of the United States government toinvest in the next generation of African leaders. Thesummit’s aim is to have meaningful engagement &empowerment of Africa’s youth for climate action.

Through the theme, “Meaningful engagement & empowerment of Africa’s youth for climate action”,this year’s summit took place in Kenya on the 24^thand 25th, a week ahead of the Africa Climate Summit.The youth had a clear vision for the summit, but facedone hurdle, finances.

 With Save the Children as one of its main sponsors,the summit brought together over 700 young peopleand children to discuss the effects of climate changeand to chart a way forward on what they would likegovernment leaders to do in order to secure theirfuture from the devastating effects of climate change.

Save the Children also supported eight children to participate in a panel discussion, where they spoke about their experiences with climate change, how they have been affected and shared their proposals to the government on how an Africa fit for children would look like in the face of the climate crisis.

One of Save the Children’s young climate champions from Garissa County, Imran Hassan moved the crowd with his thrilling speech on what it means to be a child of a pastoralist in Northern Kenya in this era of cyclic droughts. He went on to tell of how climate change affects children’s rights in his community including their right to education, food and even shelter and urged leaders to support children in climate action activities such as tree planting in schools.

"My dream is to live in a green and fertile country where there is enough food and no child suffers or dies because of malnutrition. I thank Save the Children for this opportunity to amplify our voices as children. This youth climate summit is evidence that the youth have a voice," said Imran.

Save the Children's young climate champion Imran shares his recommendations for climate action at the 4th Annual Youth Leadership and Transformation Summit on
Climate Change.

“Save the Children's unwavering commitment to the summit's objectives and their dedication to empowering youth leaders was truly remarkable. Their expertise in child rights and development led to meaningful engagement of children and youth, unifying their voices for climate action. The synergy between YALI and Save the Children resulted in a dynamic platform that inspired and equipped young leaders and children to drive positive change in climate action. We hope to keep this partnership and collaboration alive,” said Lydia Rosasi from the YALI Alumni Kenya Chapter.

Save the Children continues to hold talks with YALI to explore more opportunities to work together to advance the youth and children agenda not only on climate change, but other initiatives that will give children and youth a platform to participate fully. We believe that children and youth should be seen as agents of change, partners, and experts – not just as recipients of development or humanitarian The

The Africa Children Climate Summit (ACCS)

Africa Children Climate Summit (ACCS) was held on the 2nd and 3rd of September, 2023, ahead of the inaugural Africa Climate Summit (ACS), which took place from the 4th to the 6th of September. Save the Children joined hands with like-minded organisations, to bring children’s voices to the center of the global discussions on climate change. services.

The organisations facilitated over 300 children from Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Central Africa Republic, giving them a platform to express their views and shape ongoing climate discussions.

The discussions were fully spearheaded by the children themselves, cementing our commitment to giving children the power to take leadership in matters affecting them.

The children emerged as powerful advocates for climate action; their articulate speeches, innovative presentations, creative art displays and informed discussions made an undeniable impact, emphasizing the urgent need for climate action while calling on global leaders for accountability.

They engaged various actors in the climate sector including Dr. Robert Nanima, Chair of the Working Group on Climate Change and Children, John Ng’ang’a, CEO of the Africa Climate Summit and Vice President of Africa for the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Hon. Soipan Tuya, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry in Kenya, Graca Machel, Former South African First Lady and also Founder of the Graca Machel Trust, Ambassador Ali Mohammed, Special Climate Envoy and Presidential Advisor on Climate Change, Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children Country Director for Kenya and Madagascar among others.

As a climax to ACCS, the children drafted the African Children Climate Declaration that encapsulated theirvision for a more sustainable future. This declaration, atestament to their dedication, aimed to pave the wayfor positive change in the fight against climate change.

It did not stop here. Together with other NGOs, we further facilitated the young climate activists to participate at the Africa Climate Summit, where they engaged in high-level panel discussions with policymakers, contributing to the creation of comprehensive solutions to address Africa's pressing environmental challenges.

An ultimate achievement at the Africa Climate Summit was the presentation of the children declaration to the President of Kenya, H.E. President Willliam Samoei Ruto. This declaration developed and championed by the children themselves, serves as a symbol of the proactive role that children can play in shaping their own destinies.

Save the Children will continue to empower children and young people to tell their own stories by participating in discussions that affect them, ensuring they are heard and supported.

We believe that localisation is key to ensuring that climate action is responsive to the needs and priorities of children and communities at the local level. By working with local partners and empowering children to lead the way, we can create a more sustainable and climate-resilient future for all.