Hilda Flavia Nakabuye

What makes Hilda Flavia Nakabuye a Global Shaker?

22 year old Hilda Flavia Nakabuye is the organiser of Fridays for the Future in Uganda and a tireless advocate, both on the streets and in formal events, for the need to #KeepMamaAfricaGreen.

Much like fellow Ugandan activist Leah Manugerwa, she tweets information to show exactly how climate crisis is affecting the health of children in Uganda – – often stressing that girls are the most affected.

She has been protesting in Kampala since 2017, when she realised that climate change was behind the drought that was preventing her grandmother from being able to grow food — and preventing her parents from raising the tuition fees to send her to school.

“I am a victim of this whole climate crisis and I am not ashamed to say so,” she said in an emotionally-charged speech at the C40 Mayor’s Summit in Copenhagen, where she demanded action from the leaders of the world’s largest cities.

“After the massive effects of climate change in my home village — the heavy rains, the strong winds that washed away our crops, leaving our land bare; the constant dry spells that left our streams dry — our parents had to sell off our land and lifestock to sustain our lives. And when the money was over, it was a question of survival and death. I am lucky that I am still surviving and I will not take this chance for granted. Because people are dying every day.

“I made a decision to protect the only place I call earth. And by this, I joined fellow young activists all over the globe to protect our future through endless fights, sacrifices, we hustle our way. Because this is our future.”

She continued: “I can tell you that we are a generation of scared people, but very ambitious ones. United, persistent, and very good at action.

“You too can make a decision now. If you are willing to join the youth in this fight, I want you to make a promise by standing up right now.”

Last updated: January 22, 2020

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