‘My love for Environmental Conservation started when I was just 12- Bonita Murungi’, Climate Change activist

Every 22nd of April, the world commemorates the #EarthDay as reminder to protect the environment, restore damaged ecosystems and to live a more sustainable life and since 1970 it has been celebrated worldwide.

17year old Bonita Treasure Murungi with the help of close friends organized a climate strike at Aga Khan primary school in Kampala to stand together with the world in preaching the gospel of the need to protect and conserve the environment.

According to Bonita, her journey in climate activism started way back while still a student at Aga Khan primary school when the administration choose her plus 12 others to go represent it in the Water and Environment debate at 12years and since then she has never looked back.

“I was invited to give a speech at African Continent on the Youth and Climate change conference in 2016 a thing that also inspired me to make my voice hard for a right reason plus seeing a good number of youth all gathered for the same cause” Bonita added.

At the school premises this year, Bonita together with some students and the representative from National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) participated in planting two trees as a sign of commemorating the Earth day through restoring the ecosystem.

Though Bonita believes that she has all what it takes to pursue, she acknowledges that not being listened to is a great challenge she has faced lately but she insists that she can still make a difference together with her friends as they raise voices and plea cards on the streets.

“If you use your voice and your actions at the end of the day what you are fighting for can be accomplished” she added.

At her current school Nabisunsa Girls, Bonita recently launched a Climate Action Club to raise awareness amongst fellow students in the school after realizing that Climate Change is a necessity and something far from the fancy things that teenagers want.

In her form one at Nabisunsa Girls School, Bonita wrote her first book on Climate Change titled “LIFE OF THE FOREST” that was also launched after the strike on April 22nd which she hopes that if people read it they will be to know that collaboration in doing something especially about climate is able much greater than doing it alone.

“It’s the inspiration of my Dad to publish every book I write that has given me energy to push and currently I have three books so far” she added.

Representing the Executive Director of National Curriculum Development Centre, Deborah Magera said that Bonita’s publications are a treasure in the education sector because lately reading is still a challenge which needs good attempts like this to overcome it.

“We should encourage and not get tired of reading because through it we share knowledge, add on our information and also improve on the vocabulary” Deborah added while approving the materials.

This book launch was also graced by the principle of Aga Khan school who hosted the event, officials from Raising Team, Education in Crisis, Nile Basin the parents, relatives and friends.