WE WILL BEAR WITNESS to our world. This media project collects stories from earth's citizens, recording climate destruction, devastation, resilience and hope.
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My journey towards becoming a climate justice activist was not straightforward.
I was born in Kabarole western Uganda from a poor family of 10 children of which four are males and six females. I am the third born child. My parents were too poor to give us basic needs in life.
My parents forced me to get married to old man at age of 16, they wanted dowries to support my younger brothers and sisters. I dropped out school after completing primary seven and obeyed my parents to get married. During my marriage I had challenges with my husband and divorced him with a lame child. My parents then chased me away from home and left to be a maid for priests in town.
I exhibited discipline and commitment to my job, so that one day a priest took interest in sponsoring me to go back to school. I began studying nursing but my dream was to be a doctor.
Growing up in a big family it was challenging, my parents used to depend on agriculture of food crop and we had small portion of land that could not provide us enough food. Fortunately, I got a job to work in the refugee settlement in western Uganda where I was getting a big enough salary to support my younger sisters and brothers. I witnessed how refugees struggle in the settlement.
At the age of 27 and a nurse by profession, I began my activism by engaging in planting trees, community gathering, teaching them the importance of family planning and delayed parenthood, teaching adolescent girls how to cope with puberty stages and advising them on prevention of sexually transmitted and how to use sanitary pads. My passion to discourage early girls marriage and teenage pregnancy while promoting girls’ education and improving food security in the community, and my desire to make a difference, led me to continue my activism work. I’m now focused on various areas such as agroforestry, sexual reproductive health for adolescent girls, water accessibility and women and children rights. I have also mentored students in various schools to create climate awareness through singing, poems, storytelling and skits about climate change.
My work did not perish, and I was soon called to start Rejoice Africa Foundation as the co-founder. In this role, I have participated in the development of Rejoice Africa Foundation. However, I realised that creating systemic change was not enough. I understood that the fight against climate change required a shift in mindset and individual responsibility. I embarked on a mission to build a mindset shift change by encouraging people to take responsibility for their actions through a human rewarding system.
My work as a climate justice activist has not been easy for me, but I remain focused to meet my goal of saving the next generation.
The future is in our hands. If we don’t respond to climate change, soon the earth will reach devastation and it will be hard to reverse this.
Both the rich and the poor will be affected equally!
Respond now or never?
Kabugho Jemima
Jemima is a climate justice activist and the co-founder of the Rejoice Africa Foundation. Support climate reparations in Uganda.