Children and youth from across Africa have called for their inclusion in the climate action discussions.

The groups complained of being sidelined in the talks and during decision making on issues that affect them.

Philipa Clydoll of Sierra Leone, who represented children from Africa at the climate talks in Nairobi, said despite children being the most affected by effects of climate change, they are the most ignored when it comes to discussing issues about them and making decisions that affect them.

“We suffer the consequences even though we pollute less. We are also secluded from the climate discussions. But today, we are calling for our involvement in this discussions,” Clydoll said.

School meals

From the three-day summit, the young delegate said, it was evident climate change was a child crisis which needs child-friendly solutions. “In African countries, floods, drought and unpredictable weather have caused girls to be married off at an early age, children to go without food and our parents suffer mental anguish due to loss of income,” she observed.

In order to be part of the solutions, Clydoll said children should be involved in tree planting which has been cited as one of the ways of mitigating the effects of climate change.

She further called on African leaders to ensure school going children are provided with meals at school, which would not only ensure children remain in school, but will also make sure they remain healthy. “They should not just provide us food, but balanced diet for nutritional value,” she noted.

She further called for funds to be channeled towards keeping girls in school to prevent forced early marriages.

Clydoll said if girls remain in school, parents will not be able to marry them off in exchange for money when families are undergoing difficulties, such as during droughts and famine.

Green economy

She noted that since children have been exposed to modern technology, they have an opportunity of come up with innovative solutions to climate change.

“Give us technology, we will come up with solutions that will help mitigate, adapt and transition to clean energies. Let us create a favourable Africa for every child,” she said.

Fatou Jeng, a youth from Gambia, said young people from Africa want to be brought to the table where discussions and deliberations are made. “When conferences and summits either regionally or globally are being prepared, we are never involved. But we are now calling for our inclusion in these meetings because it is where decisions are made,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of youths, Jeng said young people want key stakeholders to recognise and promote their role in the efforts to find solutions to climate change crisis and further invest in their programmes and ideas.

She said there is a need for climate stakeholders to support their agenda in promoting sustainable environment and green economy.

The youths further want a recognition of the African Youth Climate Summit by the African Union and to recognise the work they do. “We request for the Africa youths office to be domiciled in all climate institutions in Africa,” she said.

Judy Kipkenda, representing indigenous communities in Africa, said African leaders should ensure protection of these communities against forcible evictions from their territories.

Kipkenda, who hails from the Ogiek community, said for long, indigenous communities have been forcibly evicted from their lands in the name of development. “We call for preservation of our human rights and protection against exploitative investors, especially on carbon credits. The African Union should also establish a special indigenous people climate fund to cushion them from effects of climate change and allow them to transition,” she said.