African Voices for Africa’s Future is a programme of the African Climate Reality Project that is centred on raising the profiles and amplifying the voices of climate leaders across Africa taking action and leading on climate justice. The programme spotlights affected and vulnerable communities experiencing the impacts of climate change. Black communities, Indigenous people, women, and low-income groups have disproportionately endured the physical, economic, and mental burden of climate change, so we want to tell their stories and highlight the urgent need for solutions.
Climate change poses an immense and growing threat to important ecosystems like forests and human rights around the world. With the growing rate of deforestation, human rights violations are increasing at a massive scale: millions of individuals worldwide, specifically in Africa are projected to lose access to food, water, health, livelihoods, and basic human needs. It’s our responsibility as African climate justice activists to fight for our forests and create awareness around sustainable forest and soil management, restoration, and protection as carbon sinks and to inspire people to use nature-based and people-centred solutions. This is exactly what ACRP’s latest short film showcases. Ewi Lamma, a young climate activist from Cameroon, has committed her life and work to changing the status quo by working with local communities, women, and youth. Her work is inspiring people to speak up and take part in local decision-making while protecting the environment and Indigenous knowledge.