When people talk about climate change, it feels like something that is far away. Most of the time, the focus is on melting ice caps or rising sea levels, which do not always seem connected to everyday life. But in Kenya, climate change is already affecting people in very real ways. Droughts have made it harder for families to access food and water, and crops that communities depend on are failing. What makes this even more unfair is that countries like Kenya contribute to a mere 0.19% of global pollution, yet they are some of the most affected. This is a prime example of what climate inequality looks like, and it is something that does not get the attention it deserves. 

One activist working to change this is Elizabeth Wathuti, an environmental activist from Kenya. She is the founder of the Green Generation Initiative, an organization that focuses on tree planting and environmental education. Rather than just raising awareness, the program aims to encourage young people to be directly involved in protecting the environment.

Wathuti said she grew up watching trees disappear in her community, which motivated her to take action at a young age; she was seven when she started her environmental journey. She specifically emphasizes the importance of protecting future generations, especially since they will be the ones most affected by climate change. This is why it is important for students at Lexington High School to start paying attention and getting involved by joining environmental clubs, participating in sustainability efforts, and taking small actions in their daily lives that reduce waste and raise awareness. 

“My generation will live to see the worst impacts of climate change, ” Wathuthi said during her speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021.

The issue is urgent, especially for youth. Climate change is no longer a “future” problem, it is something that is actively shaping our lives, from wildfires and extreme heat to water shortages and rising food insecurity across the world.

When discussing how climate change affects basic survival in Kenya, especially access to food and clean water, Wathuti said “We cannot eat coal, we cannot drink oil.”

Her words make the issue feel real, because they connect climate change to basic survival. For many people in Kenya, these problems are already a reality, making the urgency of her message even stronger.

At the same time, activists like Wathuti often receive less media attention compared to climate activists in Western countries. Even though the regions they represent are some of the most affected by climate change, their voices are not being heard. They are overlooked by global media, policymakers, and the public, raising an extremely important question about whose stories are being told in the conversation at a global scale about climate.

In the end, climate action in Kenya shows that climate change is not experienced equally. Some countries are dealing with more severe consequences even though they are not large contributors to the overall problem. Learning about activists like Wathitu helps make that reality more evident. It also shows that change can start with individuals who are willing to speak up and take action. That is something we should be paying more attention to. Here at LHS, students can get involved through clubs like the Environmental Collaborative Opportunities club, which focuses on sustainability and awareness, or the Hydroponics club, where students learn about sustainable food systems and how climate change impacts agriculture. The climate crisis is already shaping our world, but there is still time for people, including students at LHS, to take action and be part of the solution.