Fridays for Future: Youth Climate Activism in Uganda
Following Greta Thunberg's protest outside the Swedish Parliament in August 2018, the global Fridays for Future movement reached East Africa, inspiring young Ugandan activists to organize their country's first climate strikes. This documentary photography project captures the emergence of Uganda's chapter of the international youth climate movement, documenting how African students adapted global environmental activism to address local climate challenges.
In February 2019, five students began Uganda's first climate strike outside a university entrance in Kampala. The movement, now involving over 2,500 young participants, represents one of Africa's most significant youth-led environmental initiatives. Through in-depth interviews and photography, this project documents the experiences of key organizers Cicilly Ben, Irene Kananura, Katusiime Marvis, and Niere Sadrach—four of the six coordinators behind Fridays for Future Uganda.
The work examines unique challenges facing climate activism in East Africa, where environmental protests are often misunderstood as political opposition to government. In Uganda, where local media prioritizes sensational news over climate coverage, young activists struggle to communicate the urgency of environmental action to communities that may lack awareness of global climate science and impacts.
This photojournalism project explores how Ugandan youth translate international climate messaging into local contexts, addressing specific environmental problems including wetland degradation, deforestation, air and water pollution, and poor waste management. The activists document how Uganda's dependence on charcoal for energy drives illegal deforestation while the country struggles to implement renewable energy alternatives.
Through documentary photography and interviews, the project captures how young Ugandans navigate cultural barriers to environmental activism, developing innovative approaches to engage parents and communities. From creating "Parents for the Future" support networks to explaining climate science through local examples, these young activists demonstrate remarkable creativity in building grassroots environmental movements.
The work documents the intersection of development, environmental justice, and climate action in Uganda, a country that has signed and ratified the Paris Climate Agreement but lacks concrete implementation strategies. Young activists challenge both international climate policies and local development practices that prioritize economic growth over environmental sustainability.
From the bustling streets of Kampala to rural districts where 14-year-old leader Leia speaks to hundreds of students, this project reveals how Uganda's climate movement bridges urban and rural communities. The photography captures both the determination of student organizers working with limited resources and the growing support from parents and communities who increasingly recognize climate threats.
The project examines how African youth position themselves within global climate discourse, asserting that the Global South must pursue sustainable development rather than repeating the environmental mistakes of industrialized nations. Through the voices of Ugandan activists, the work explores themes of climate justice, intergenerational responsibility, and the unique challenges facing environmental movements in developing countries.
Kampala, Uganda. 2019.
This documentation of Uganda's Fridays for Future movement, including extensive interviews with movement leaders, was published in El País as part of international coverage of youth climate activism in Africa.
