Youth Representative Speech - Shikanga Kristofine

002 Speech from the Youth Representative during the official launch webCCAC LAUNCH – 16 October 2026: YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE SPEECH
Name: Shikanga Kristofine

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak as one of the young people participating in the demonstration plot. My name is Shikanga Kristofine. I am the secretary of the Water Users Association (WUA) and a kindergarten teacher in the community.

Initially, I was concerned about how I would manage my teaching responsibilities in the morning while participating in the project. However, I decided to register during the May school holidays.

The project began with activities such as weeding, removing tree stumps and planting seeds in the nursery. When the seedlings were ready for transplanting, we prepared seedbeds and transplanted them. After the school reopened, I continued teaching in the mornings and working in the garden in the afternoons.

There is trust and unity among the members. Whenever activities take place in the morning, the other members inform me about what they have done.

Allow me to share what we have learned about climate change.
I would like to begin with two questions:
Do you remember how cold June used to be?
Do you remember when the rainy season used to arrive on time?

Our grandparents remember, but we are growing up in a generation where the seasons seem to have lost their way.
This confusion of the seasons has a name: climate change.

Since the beginning of time, the Earth has been protected by a blanket of gases. These gases keep the Earth warm enough for us to live. However, during the past 100 years, human activities have made this blanket too thick, causing the Earth to become hotter.
Climate change is no longer a future threat; it is a present reality. Around the world, communities are experiencing more frequent droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires and unpredictable weather patterns.

In our country, we experience the effects every day. Our rainfall has become unpredictable, drought has become common, underground water is running out, extreme heat is causing sickness and suffering, and our food security is under threat.
In this garden, we learn about ways to adapt to climate change and put them into practice.
We plant different types of crops and use intercropping to control pests. We have also planted cassava, which many of us had never grown in our households before. Instead of buying chemical pesticides from shops, we make affordable natural remedies using garlic, chillies, neem leaves and dishwashing soap.

We make our own compost and have also learned how to make fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves.
Here at Shinyungwe, our understanding has grown, and we now know that we can help fight climate change.
The project has also helped to reduce violence among young people in the community. We spend our days working productively in the garden and planning what we will do the following day.

I have also noticed that some young people who used to consume a lot of alcohol have reduced their drinking.
This garden has brought new life to us and the wider community. We can now access fresh food, and some people can exchange their produce for maize meal and mahangu.

I invite young people who are sitting at home to come and join us. There is much more to learn, including how to raise chickens and goats and how to keep bees.

Come, fellow young people, and gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this changing climate.
THANK YOU

Youth Representative Speech - Shikanga Kristofine

002 Speech from the Youth Representative during the official launch webCCAC LAUNCH – 16 October 2026: YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE SPEECH
Name: Shikanga Kristofine

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak as one of the young people participating in the demonstration plot. My name is Shikanga Kristofine. I am the secretary of the Water Users Association (WUA) and a kindergarten teacher in the community.

Initially, I was concerned about how I would manage my teaching responsibilities in the morning while participating in the project. However, I decided to register during the May school holidays.

The project began with activities such as weeding, removing tree stumps and planting seeds in the nursery. When the seedlings were ready for transplanting, we prepared seedbeds and transplanted them. After the school reopened, I continued teaching in the mornings and working in the garden in the afternoons.

There is trust and unity among the members. Whenever activities take place in the morning, the other members inform me about what they have done.

Allow me to share what we have learned about climate change.
I would like to begin with two questions:
Do you remember how cold June used to be?
Do you remember when the rainy season used to arrive on time?

Our grandparents remember, but we are growing up in a generation where the seasons seem to have lost their way.
This confusion of the seasons has a name: climate change.

Since the beginning of time, the Earth has been protected by a blanket of gases. These gases keep the Earth warm enough for us to live. However, during the past 100 years, human activities have made this blanket too thick, causing the Earth to become hotter.
Climate change is no longer a future threat; it is a present reality. Around the world, communities are experiencing more frequent droughts, floods, heatwaves, wildfires and unpredictable weather patterns.

In our country, we experience the effects every day. Our rainfall has become unpredictable, drought has become common, underground water is running out, extreme heat is causing sickness and suffering, and our food security is under threat.
In this garden, we learn about ways to adapt to climate change and put them into practice.
We plant different types of crops and use intercropping to control pests. We have also planted cassava, which many of us had never grown in our households before. Instead of buying chemical pesticides from shops, we make affordable natural remedies using garlic, chillies, neem leaves and dishwashing soap.

We make our own compost and have also learned how to make fuel-efficient wood-burning stoves.
Here at Shinyungwe, our understanding has grown, and we now know that we can help fight climate change.
The project has also helped to reduce violence among young people in the community. We spend our days working productively in the garden and planning what we will do the following day.

I have also noticed that some young people who used to consume a lot of alcohol have reduced their drinking.
This garden has brought new life to us and the wider community. We can now access fresh food, and some people can exchange their produce for maize meal and mahangu.

I invite young people who are sitting at home to come and join us. There is much more to learn, including how to raise chickens and goats and how to keep bees.

Come, fellow young people, and gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in this changing climate.
THANK YOU