Youth Lead the Charge for Green Mobility as ATEI Hosts Climate Change Awareness Marathon at Makerere University

Africa Tourism & Environment Initiatives (ATEI) hosted the Climate Awareness Marathon and Green Expo to commemorate World Car Free Day. Held under the theme “Mobility for a Green and Sustainable Future: Youth Innovation and Action for Climate Justice,” the event brought together hundreds of students, youth organizations, civil society groups, and government representatives to reimagine Uganda’s urban transport systems through a climate-smart lens.

World Car Free Day, celebrated annually on September 22nd, encourages people around the world to give up their cars for a day and embrace sustainable mobility options such as walking, cycling, and public transport.

In Uganda, urban centers are increasingly affected by traffic congestion, air pollution, and rising fuel emissions, the day carried deep significance as a call to action as well as a national reflection on how mobility choices shape climate outcomes and public health. 

From the early morning hours, participants thronged Makerere University Freedom Square in sportswear, ready to run, walk, and skate for the planet. Over 320 people took part in the 5km marathon and walkathon, joined by climate skaters, university students, and pageant queens led by Miss Climate Change Awareness Uganda, Sandra Namirembe, and her Central Region counterpart, Nabuule Maria Maureen.

The marathon was officially flagged off by representatives from the Ministry of Water and Environment, the Youth Climate Council, Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) and ATEI’s Executive Director, Bismac Moses Amumpaire, who lauded the youth for stepping up to lead Uganda’s climate justice movement.

In his remarks, Amumpaire emphasized that mobility is about development, equity, and the future of our cities. “When young people choose to walk, cycle, or adopt electric mobility, they are shaping a culture of responsibility. This marathon symbolizes the unity and creativity we need to achieve climate justice,” he said.

 Among the partners and exhibitors were GAYO (Green Africa Youth Organization), AGHNET, Climate Skaters Kiteezi, Climate Walkers Association, Youth Go Green among others, whose innovations inspired dialogue on eco-entrepreneurship and green job creation. 

Miss Climate Change Awareness Uganda, Sandra Namirembe, underscored the importance of merging climate advocacy with creativity and youth culture. “Climate change can no longer be discussed in closed rooms or conferences alone. It must be brought to the streets, to the people, through fashion, sports, music, and storytelling. That’s how we create a generation that not only understands climate change but also acts on it,” she said

The proceeds from the marathon are earmarked to support youth-led ecosystem restoration projects at Kalimon Agro-Tourism Destination in Karamoja, one of ATEI’s flagship eco-tourism and climate adaptation initiatives.

Bismac Moses Amumpaire reiterated the need for collective responsibility, urging institutions and individuals to embrace clean transport choices and integrate climate action into daily life.

“The marathon is a symbol of what we can achieve when we move together, when government, youth, and civil society unite for a sustainable future. Climate justice starts with how we move, how we live, and how we care for our environment,” he noted.

The Climate Awareness Marathon and Green Expo at Makerere University thus stood not only as a celebration of World Car Free Day but as a testament to the transformative power of youth leadership, pageantry, and creative mobilization in tackling one of the world’s most pressing challenges — climate change.

Miss Climate Change Awareness Uganda, Sandra Namirembe, and Miss Climate Change Awareness (Central Region), Nabuule Maria Maureen, who both underscored the importance of integrating pageantry with climate advocacy.

“Pageantry gives us visibility and a platform,” said Nabuule. “When beauty queens speak about climate change, young people listen. We are showing that environmental activism can be creative, inclusive, and inspiring.”

Namirembe added that pageantry is not just about glamour but purpose: “This is beauty with a cause. Through events like this, we connect youth passion with sustainability, and we make climate change relatable, not distant.”