"Climate Skaters Kitezi: Kemigisha Cynthia Leading the Fight Against Climate Change (SDG 13)"

Can you give us a brief overview of your project and how it addresses SDG 13?

Our project is all about using the power of sport in particular skateboarding to bring young people together and get them involved in climate action.

Since sport is something many people love and it naturally unites communities, we saw an opportunity to use it as a tool for change. Through skateboarding, we make climate education fun and relatable.

We focus on raising awareness about climate change, sharing stories through climate media, promoting eco-friendly innovations, planting trees, and organizing community cleanups. It’s our way of making climate action something young people can connect with and take part in.

In doing this, we’re directly contributing to SDG 13 by building a generation that’s more aware and ready to act for the planet.

What inspired you to tackle climate change as part of your project?

What inspired us was our personal experience right in our own backyard.

Our skate park is located a few meters from the city’s only landfilla constant reminder of environmental challenges. Even before the landfill tragically collapsed recently, we had already started our climate advocacy because we were directly facing the impacts of climate change: flooding, heat, and pollution affecting our community. That collapse only reinforced our commitment. It showed us how urgent and personal the fight for climate action is.

Using skateboarding a sport that unites young people, we decided to channel our passion into climate education, advocacy, and hands on initiatives like tree planting and community cleanups.

This journey is all about turning our challenges into action to protect our future and contribute to SDG 13: Climate Action.

What specific goals did your project aim to achieve in relation to combating climate change?

Our project has a few clear goals in fighting climate change:

Educate & Inspire: We share easy to understand info about climate change, especially with young people.

Promote Climate Stories: We use media to show real life impacts and positive solutions.

Encourage Green Ideas: We support eco friendly innovations that reduce harm to the environment.

Take Direct Action: Through tree planting and community cleanups, we work on the ground to improve our surroundings.

Unite Through Skateboarding: We bring people together using skateboarding as a fun way to promote climate action.

How did your project contribute to raising awareness about climate change or reducing its impacts?

Our project raised awareness about climate change and helped reduce its impacts in several practical ways.

We visited schools and universities to engage students in climate talks, sharing simple insights about how climate change affects our lives and what can be done.

We also held dialogues with local leaders and community members, focusing especially on waste management, which is a major challenge in our area.

We encouraged eco-friendly innovations among young people, such as making briquettes for cleaner energy and plastic recycling

Additionally, we established weekend climate classes at our skatepark to further educate the youth and community.

Did your project focus on any particular aspect of climate change (e.g., mitigation, adaptation, education)? If so, could you explain this focus?

Our project mainly focused on climate education. We used skateboarding as a way to engage the community especially young people with simple, hands-on information about climate change.

By visiting schools, universities, and holding weekend climate classes at our skatepark, we aimed to spread awareness about both the impacts of climate change and practical solutions.

In addition to education, we also tackled mitigation and adaptation by organizing community dialogues on waste management, encouraging eco-friendly innovations like creating briquettes for cleaner energy, and conducting tree planting and cleanups to directly improve our local environment.

What were some of the challenges you faced while implementing your project, particularly in addressing climate change, and how did you overcome them?

One of our biggest challenges has been finances. We are still struggling with limited funding, which affects almost every part of our work from organizing events to getting materials for cleanups and running our climate classes.

We often rely on our own creativity and community support to keep things going.

We also don’t have a proper structure for our weekend climate classes, so we hold them either at the skatepark or under a tree, which makes it hard to have sessions when it rains.

On top of that, climate awareness was low in the beginning, but we used skateboarding as a fun and engaging way to draw in young people and spark interest. Slowly, more people have joined us, and that growing support keeps us moving forward despite the challenges.

Can you share any specific outcomes or impacts your project had in relation to SDG 13?

Yes, our project has had several meaningful outcomes that contribute to SDG 13 Climate Action.

We’ve reached hundreds of young people through school visits, university talks, and our weekend climate classes, helping to raise awareness and build a more climate conscious generation.

Our tree planting and cleanup activities in our communities have helped improve our local environment and reduce pollution.

In terms of innovation, we’ve seen young people come up with creative solutions like making briquettes for cleaner energy, as well as turning plastic waste into useful items like dustbins and flower pots. These small initiatives not only reduce waste but also promote a culture of sustainability.

Most importantly, our project has created a space where young people feel inspired to take action and be part of the climate solution in their own community.

Did your project involve collaboration with other students, organizations, or community members? If yes, how did this collaboration enhance your project's effectiveness in combating climate change?

Yes, our project involved collaboration with students, organizations, and community members.

We worked closely with schools and universities to engage students in climate talks and activities. Local leaders and community members supported our dialogues, especially around waste management, which helped us reach more people and understand the real challenges on the ground.

We also partnered with youth groups and creative individuals who contributed to eco-friendly innovations, like making briquettes and recycling plastic waste into useful items.

These collaborations brought in new ideas, skills, and energy, making our project stronger and more impactful. Working together made it easier to spread awareness, organize events, and inspire more people to take part in climate action.

What were some key lessons you learned from working on this project related to SDG 13?

Working on this project taught us that real climate action doesn’t always require big resources it starts with small, consistent efforts driven by passion and purpose.

We learned that young people are not just future leaders,they can lead change right now when given the right tools, space, and encouragement.

We also saw how powerful collaboration can be. Working with schools, universities, local leaders, and community members helped us reach more people and build a stronger movement.

Creativity played a huge role too from turning plastic waste into useful items to using skateboarding to make climate education fun and relatable.

Most importantly, we learned that climate action must be inclusive and rooted in the realities of the community. When people see how climate change affects their daily lives, they become more willing to take part in the solution.

Looking ahead, how do you plan to continue your efforts to combat climate change beyond the scope of your project, and what role do you see yourself playing in future climate action initiatives?

Looking ahead, we plan to grow our impact by expanding our weekend climate classes, reaching more schools, and setting up a proper space for learning and innovation at our skatepark. We also hope to scale up our community cleanups, tree planting, and support more youth-led eco-friendly projects like recycling and clean energy solutions.

We’re working to strengthen our climate media platforms to amplify local climate voices and share stories that inspire action. We also look forward to collaborating with more individuals, organizations, and communities to increase our reach and impact.

Another important goal is to help bridge the gap between the youth and older generations in climate advocacy. We believe that by encouraging intergenerational dialogue, we can combine fresh ideas with valuable experience to create stronger, more united climate solutions.

Personally, I see myself continuing to use my voice, creativity, and leadership to inspire more young people to join the climate movement. I want to play an active role in shaping climate education, building partnerships, and ensuring youth from underrepresented communities are included in climate action at all levels local, national, and global.