This archive report was first published on 20 September 2019.
On her 15th birthday, Leah Namugerwa made a bold statement: instead of celebrating with a party, she would plant 200 trees to raise awareness about environmental damage in Uganda.
As a member of the Fridays for Future movement, Namugerwa has been at the forefront of climate activism in her country, inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.
"If adults are not willing to take leadership, I and fellow children will lead them," Namugerwa said in a speech in Kigali, Rwanda, last week, receiving a standing ovation for her address on the climate emergency.
Back in Kampala, Namugerwa told AFP that she was inspired to start weekly school strikes after becoming aware of her government's inaction on environmental issues and discovering Thunberg's sit-ins outside Sweden's parliament.
She has led a campaign to urge Kampala to implement a ban on plastic bags and sounds the alarm about massive deforestation, prolonged droughts, and flooding attributed to climate change.
"What made me get concerned and get involved in this campaign is because of the climate change and effects on our lives," Namugerwa said.
She was one of several activists to receive Amnesty International's highest human rights award for their work.
Now, a group of teens join her every week in missing school to hold their strikes on Fridays, with Namugerwa heartened by rising interest in environmental issues in Uganda.
