COP30: From Tanzania to Bethlehem, the 11-year-old climate activist the world needs to know

At age seven, she became aware of the challenges of climate issues at school, and at age nine she created a foundation to disseminate information and engage other children in this debate

From Elizabeth Oliveira

Belém (PA) – Adults who are paralyzed in their comfort zones, believing they have nothing to do to address the climate crisis, or even ignoring its consequences, need to meet Georgina Magesa, an 11-year-old climate activist participating in the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in the capital of Pará. At the age of nine, supported by her mother, educator Mary Bwahama, she created the Georgina Foundation to work more strongly with educational initiatives in Tanzania, her country of origin. But the doors of the world have already opened to broaden the horizons of this idealistic girl. The message “Children are part of the solution,” printed on a sticker on her iPad cover, reflects exactly what mother and daughter believe when the topic involves this challenging agenda. Both affirm that they are willing to mobilize efforts for the future of childhood.

Although Georgina’s engagement on the need to address the climate crisis by protecting children and young people began before the official registration of the foundation, it was in the last two years that she and her mother began to expand their participation in international debates on the subject. Thus, for the second consecutive year they are participating in a Climate COP. The first experience was last year, at COP29, held in Baku (Azerbaijan). In Belém, both say they are impressed with the mobilization of society, with the receptiveness of the city’s population and with the discussions that have been unfolding since the 11th. The official program is scheduled to end this Friday (21).

The nearly 20-hour journey marathon involved several connections, starting from their departure from Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania. But mother and daughter confirmed that it was well worth the trip. “Getting to know the Amazon was a dream,” says the educator, who considers the first impression of this region of emblematic nature and culture unforgettable.

The fruit ice creams from the Amazon region are already part of their fond memories, and it was precisely in line at an ice cream shop in the Zona Azul (a parking area in São Paulo) that the conversation with the reporter began. The girl said that she was also enchanted by the taste of tapioca, her favorite, and that her mother loved bacuri. The young climate activist even accepted the suggestion to try cupuaçu and was surprised by the flavor. Both know that preserving these and other ingredients from the region so that current and future generations have the right to enjoy them depends on the forest and other living ecosystems.

They are also concerned about the future of children and young people in local communities, but say they are motivated by having witnessed, during COP30, how these social groups in the Amazon fought strongly for the right to keep their territories, knowledge, and ways of life protected. This is one of the messages they intend to share upon their return to Tanzania.

In Belém, in an innovative way, children like Georgina had the opportunity to participate in the COP30 Children’s Summit program, with specific activities so that their voices could be heard. During the closing of the People’s Summit, on the 16th, after an intense agenda of civil society activities that began on the 12th, children and young people reflected and moved the audience by defending their desired future, based on the political and diplomatic decisions that need to be made in the present. They were also able to publicly read letters with demands to government leaders and the president of COP30, Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, who was accompanied on that occasion by CEO Ana Toni.

This report was produced by ((oeco)), through the Collaborative Socio-environmental Coverage of COP 30. Read the original report at https://oeco.org.br/reportagens/cop30-da-tanzania-para-belem-a-ativista-climatica-de-11-anos-que-o-mundo-precisa-conhecer/