Makerere University student, Patience Joyce Kirabo, has been crowned Miss Climate Change Awareness, as part of the week-long activities to commemorate the 9th edition of the Uganda Water and Environment week running from March 23rd to 27th.
Dr Alfred Okot Okidi, the Water and Environment ministry permanent secretary, said there are no better people to advocate for climate action than the young people.
“The issues of climate change cannot be addressed by the government alone. It is a responsibility for all of us. Whatever activities you do benefit the whole of Uganda,” he said.
He was addressing the crowning night at the ministry’s headquarters in Luzira over the weekend, themed; Water and Environment for an inclusive and prosperous Uganda.
The pageantry was organized by the Africa Tourism and Environment Initiatives (ATEI), in partnership with the Ministry of Water and Environment.
Dr Okidi expressed commitment to support young people in their initiatives that align with the government’s environment and climate change awareness work.
“We mentor and sponsor a few youth in our programmes. We have the water and environment steering committees; we make sure 30 percent representation is the youth.”
Kirabo,21, is a first-year student pursuing a degree in Bachelor of Environmental Science.
She impressed the judges with her top-notch understanding of climate change and practical solutions that earned her the national crown.
She intends to run an innovative campaign of restoring depleted wetlands in areas with serious human encroachments.
“We shall work hand in hand with community leaders to carry out community dialogues so that we can find strategies we can use to conserve biodiversity and the environment,” she said.
Her campaign will be dominated by community outreaches to sensitize and educate the public about the dangers of depleting wetlands.
“When you talk about floods, Kampala is what comes into your minds. We shall work with responsible stakeholders to see how best floods can be reduced,” she pledged.
She conceived the idea of fighting for the restoration of wetlands from her home initiative of beekeeping done in the wetland. Kirabo believes that instead of practicing agriculture in such areas, they can do alternative, eco-friendly activities.
“We generate money from this project and employ people in the community. That is what I want other people to do.”
In the pageant that saw 14 participants reach finals, Ms Martha Akori emerged 1st runner’s up, while Winnie Mirembe came third, ending up crowned 2nd runner’s up.
Among the young women crowned to represent their regions are Angella Mutesi from Eastern Uganda and Racheal Kanyunyuzi from the Albertine region.
Miss Climate Change Awareness is an initiative to nurture climate ambassadors to champion climate action initiatives like tree planting, water conservation, environmental education, and climate resilience.
Central region’s Winnie Mirembe who received the 2nd runner-up crown, runs a community development network in Mbuya that is into waste recycling. They turn plastic waste into jewelry, flower vessels, and planters for urban farming, among others.
Using this platform, she plans to extend her projects to cover the whole region. “I believe in economic enterprise. We can train people to manage waste as they earn from it.”
Mr Bismac Amumpaire, ATEI team lead, termed the initiative as a growing movement shaping a new generation of climate leaders.
He also revealed future plans of being more inclusive, with a shift from focusing on empowering young women only to incorporating male counterparts.
As part of the government’s contribution to the young people in the climate action space, PS Okidi pledged on behalf of his ministry to finance the current cohort of winners and the inaugural 2025 edition to attend this year’s global climate conference (COP) in Turkey, offering them exposure to international climate advocacy platforms.