Supporting Youth Climate Activists and the Power of Local Solutions

This episode of My Climate Journey features three guests: Lissie Garvin, Ayakha Melithafa, and Dysmus Kisilu, and we are diving into youth empowerment around climate.

The IPCCs AR6 synthesis report from earlier this year includes a heartbreaking graphic that shows the extent to which current and future generations will experience a hotter and different world. It should come as no surprise that younger generations today will face a world that changes more dramatically than any generation has previously experienced. And yet, according to Lissie, less than 1% of all money going into climate change is going to youth movements.

Lissie Garvin serves as the Foundation and Fellowship Program Director at 776, an organization founded by Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder and former CEO of Reddit. The overarching mission of the 776 Foundation is to fight inequity worldwide starting with a youth climate fellowship program, which recognizes and supports outstanding individuals under the age of 23 who are actively engaged in pioneering solutions to address climate change. Recipients of this program receive $100,000 grants to further their innovative efforts in tackling climate-related challenges. 

Ayakha Melithafa, a 21-year-old Pan-African climate justice activist, has represented youth voices from the Global South on prominent global platforms, including the World Economic Forum and COP26. She holds the distinction of being the youngest commissioner on the South African Presidential Climate Commission.

Dysmus Kisilu, 24, is the founder of Solar Freeze, a company specializing in solar-powered cold storage units for smallholder farmers in Kenya, significantly boosting agricultural productivity. He also founded "Each One, Teach One," an initiative within Solar Freeze that mentors young agricultural leaders in Africa in renewable energy solutions, benefiting over 100 young people.

Ayakha and Dysmus are among the first 20 recipients of 776 Fellowships. Together with Lissie, we explore the program's purpose, operations, and its impact. We also hear from Ayakha and Dysmus about their stories and the work they're doing to affect change.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [08:36]: Overview of the 776 Fellowship
• [10:42]: Youth activism's big impact
• [15:00]: How 776 funding allowed Ayakha to maintain her authentic voice
• [17:52]: How speaking up led Ayakha to the South African Presidential Climate Commission
• [22:10]: Ayakha's personal experiences during the "Day Zero" water crisis in 2017 that ignited her climate activism
• [29:07]: Her reflections on becoming an activist
• [33:38]: Her vision for South Africa to be a global leader in the energy transition
• [37:33]: Dysmus' experience with Ag Tech at UC Davis and origins of Solar Freeze
• [40:01]: Recent historic drought in Kenya
• [41:18]: Overview of Solar Freeze's solution and services
• [45:09]: The company's rapid growth and work with Kenyan farmers
• [47:35]: Dysmus' Each One, Teach One program
• [50:21]: How Dysmus and Ayakha learned about the 776 Fellowship
• [52:01]: Lissie's reflections on selecting the first 776 cohort
• [54:18]: Ayakha's experiences in the program and highlights from other 776 fellows
• [59:50]: Ayakha's advice for other young people in the climate space
• [01:03:06]: How people in the Global North can support youth in Africa working at the forefront of the climate crisis

Get connected: 

• Ayakha Melithafa X
• Dysmus Kisilu X / LinkedIn
• Lissie Garvin X / LinkedIn
• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Aug 7, 2023 (Published on Sep 18, 2023)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant