No Action Is Too Small: Igniting the Climate Movement with Her Voice

Whatever you do—if it’s doing that small project in your community, speaking to your family or friends—that is something that you are doing for the environment, for the planet, for the people. No action is too small to transform the world.
— Vanessa Nakate

Who is Vanessa Nakate?

Vanessa Nakate is a Ugandan climate justice activist who has become a prominent figure in recent years, advocating for global awareness to combat the escalating climate crisis. Vanessa's start as an advocate for environmental issues started after seeing the devastating impact of torrential rainfall, severe flooding, landslides and drought on her country, due to climate change.

After my school last year, there is a period before graduation. I wanted to do something that could cause change to the lives of the people in my community and my country, therefore I started carrying out research about the main problems that are faced by the people in my country.
— democracynow.org

Inspired by Greta Thunderberg’s climate protests, in 2019, Vanessa started her very own strike every Friday. For several months she stood as a solitary protester by the gates of the Parliament of Uganda. Over time, her social media appeals resonated with other young people, prompting them to join in raising awareness about the urgent challenges faced by the Congolian rainforests.

I would make a placard with the words ‘Save Congo Rainforest,’ for example, and would share this on social media. I just kept sharing and sharing, and I remember on the 15th day of striking, Greta Thunberg retweeted my tweet about the Congo Rainforest. As a result, many people started to get more engaged and started organizing and sharing pictures of the rainforest.
— sokaglobal.org

Vanessa's activism, however, extends beyond protests. Vanessa has used her voice to speak at the UN and many other international platforms. Moreover, she co-founded the Rise Up Movement—an African-led platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of activists from Africa and also appealed for the protection of the Congo Rainforest from deforestation. The Congo Rainforest, known as the world's “second lung”, is the second-largest rainforest globally and is home to thousands of species of birds, animals, and plants.

In her community, Vanessa started the Vash green schools project, to help schools in Uganda transition to renewable energy sources such as equipping schools with solar panels for electricity and installing ecological stoves to help reduce the amount of firewood and indoor air pollution. Through this initiative Vanessa says,

Solar panel installation - Vash green schools project
Photo from: @vanessanakate1

It has given us an opportunity to speak to students about climate issues and the climate work that we do. We are able to show them the power of small actions—their actions—and the power of their voices in transforming the world.
— sokaglobal.org

Vanessa’s trajectory from a lone protester on the streets of Kampala to an internationally influential climate justice activist showcases the power of using one’s voice to create meaningful change and inspire others to join in the urgent global effort to combat climate change and foster a more sustainable world.

Quotes from Vanessa Nakate

I think many times, young people will ask themselves what they can do in the movement. I think that question alone is one step toward doing something. I always say to find a group that is already organizing in your community; you don’t have to start alone. But, if you don’t see any community that is organizing in your country and you want to organize, then my advice is for you to start. You don’t need many resources; all you need is a placard and a marker to write that message and share it on your social media. That is what I did, and that always reminds me that no action is too small to make a difference, and no voice is too small to make a difference.
— sokaglobal.org

I think it’s important for young people to know that there is so much power in their voices and that their voices are actually transforming the world. There is so much power in their actions that is already transforming so many people’s lives. We may not be able to do things on a global scale, but we have seen the changes on a local level—the joy, the happiness in people’s faces when you bring these projects into their communities.
— sokaglobal.org