At Earthshot Week 2024, we invited 120 young climate leaders from Africa and Asia to join the Climate Youth Leadership Programme, delivered in partnership with Common Purpose.
The young innovators, designers and thinkers attended five days of masterclasses, workshops and networking opportunities to prepare them to be the changemakers of tomorrow.
A week later, we caught up with some of the participants to hear their point of view on Earthshot Week and the future of our planet.
My name is Obedine Noxolo Tsuses and I am a 25-year-old from Walvis Bay, Namibia. It’s hard to describe what I do in one word! I am an entrepreneur, fashion designer, tailor, poet and speaker.
Arriving at the Climate Youth Leadership Programme in Cape Town was like stepping into a world of inspiration and energy. I came here to gain new insights, be inspired and learn the tangible tools needed for the difficult yet rewarding road we have chosen to take. I can say, without a doubt, that the Programme delivered all this and more.
I was already extremely optimistic about the future of our planet but I’m even more so after Earthshot Week and the Programme. I believe being optimistic is half the battle. We need to come up with solutions and then, we need to be optimistic that these solutions and collaborations can bring about the necessary changes.
One of the problems we face most in Namibia is food insecurity, which is in part due to the climate crisis. El Nino has a huge impact on crop and livestock production which, in turn, affects the economy and employment.
This problem led me to becoming the project manager of the Hanan Green Acres Youth Project, a competition for schools that gives students the opportunity to learn how to grow their own food, harvest it, and then sell their produce. The project runs for three months, involving 35 students between the ages of 15 and 20.
We received funding to launch and implement this initiative in Walvis Bay, but this is just the beginning! We hope to expand to schools and communities across Namibia and build long-term relationships with students.
Hanan Green Acres Youth Project. Photo: Obedine Tsuses, Facebook.
Hanan Green Acres Youth Project. Photo: Obedine Tsuses, Facebook.
Hanan Green Acres Youth Project. Photo: Obedine Tsuses, Facebook.
Hanan Green Acres Youth Project. Photo: Obedine Tsuses, Facebook.
My dream is to create a course, specifically designed by experts, for youth and beginners in gardening and agriculture. The course would teach them the fundamentals of growing and do it in a simple and practical way, while providing students with a network of mentors and likeminded people to support them and offer them guidance.
During the week, I began to see ways in which I can grow my project. A big lesson for me was to knock on as many doors as you can, collaborate with as many people as possible, and do your best with what you have.
Game-changing ideas can come from anywhere.
One of the most important things I learned came out of a conversation with Pierre Laurent Baudey, Brand Growth Partner and ex-Brand Director at Nike.
He gave us lessons from the most important things he has learned in his career: From trusting your gut to taking risks and taking the time to get to know your consumer to create a product that meets their needs.
Inspiration didn’t only come from the experienced leaders who led the talks and classes. Listening to my fellow participants’ ideas and hearing their stories was not only inspiring but uplifting. If I had to describe the other people on the programme in three words, I’d say they are creative, determined, and solution orientated.
Youth-led climate solutions are fuelled by a deep desire to restore and serve our planet and all of us who live on it. As creative and determined as we are, we also need the contribution of the older generations; their lessons and wisdom are invaluable. We need to collaborate with businesses not only for their financial support but also for their influence on the global stage. Our biggest impact will come only from the collective effort of all generations: the energy of the younger generations paired with the support of the older.
Obedine Tsuses (L) attending Climate Youth Leadership Programme seminar
Obedine Tsuses (L) attending Climate Youth Leadership Programme seminar
Youth Climate Leader Obedine Tsuses meets Rachel Kolisi, Co-Founder of the Kolisi Foundation. Rachel joined the youth leaders on day one of the programme for an insightful panel discussion on The Power of Youth: Global Business Perspective
In addition to all the inspirational talks, I was very excited for the Earthshot Prize Awards. I had never attended such a prestigious event! We were invited to join all the biggest names in climate action on the Green Carpet, as well as celebrities like Winnie Harlow, Nomzamo Mbatha and Robert Irwin.
During the week, we also visited beautiful sites across Cape Town including the spectacular Table Mountain and my highlight, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. It was so beautiful and peaceful there; after a day of thought-provoking conversations, I enjoyed exploring and experiencing the beauty of nature.
There is so much negativity around the climate crisis; it was a lot of fun to celebrate climate creativity at Earthshot Week and feel optimistic about the future of our planet – dancing at the closing jol was the cherry on top!
Partners from across the Earthshot network came together to make the inaugural Climate Youth Leadership Programme possible, including DP World, Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Temasek Foundation, and Tsao Pao Chee.
