It is clear that the world now faces multiple environmental challenges that if not addressed wholly and timely, will explode to a state of irreversibility. Some people may even argue that it has already reached a point of no return. The human race and the whole environment therefore need humanity to be able to arrest the situation that is fast sliding downwards. The youth are the most energetic of the race and their services are vital in handling environmental protection and mitigatory measures. The willingness of the youth is therefore vital.
Environmental volunteerism is a concept that has been introduced recently to African youth, most of them having been for long associated with poverty and lack of professional capacity in many spheres of life. One thing that stands out in this concept is that money is not a paramount need in voluntary work, what it needs most is the spirit itself. When one really feels the conviction to make a change, nothing will come in their way, financial obstacles or otherwise.
Volunteerism in the field of environment really requires people with conviction, ensuring that whatever one believes in is brought to fruition. You do not need a bigger and influential entity to make a change; no one necessarily needs foreign aid to make a change. All that is welcome but one should never hinge their enthusiasm on the financial or any tangible reward their effort while volunteering will offer. There is a lot more to look forward to and I can attest to the fact that there is not a greater reward than the inner satisfaction brought about by success, however small it is.
We all have the ability to create change in our little ways. The environmental campaign in this respect is very dependent on the volunteers, the passion one would have in ensuring that their environmental is clean is good enough, them who decide to plant a tree on every birthday and actually commit to it is very commendable. The decision they make to plant a tree is bounding mentally, physically and to some even spiritually therefore they will go through hooks to do it, financial shortcomings or not. This is high level volunteerism that does not have to be in a formal setting.
Many environmental organizations in Africa rely on foreign aid for their projects, though they may have fundamental principles to tread in their line of work, more often than not they end up lost in the objectives of the bigger foreign intentions thus very hard to stand steadfast in what they believe. This has led to these organizations being dwarfed and incapacitated in decision making and environmental policy formulations.
It is not late to take action now but for sure we don’t have much time to turn things around. The youth who are the bridge between the current generation and the future generation thus have to be educated and made to understand what they stand to gain when they volunteer in environmental services; it is great, greater than what money can offer. The idea alone of intra and intra-generational environmental justice rests entirely on the will of youth to take part unconditionally in improving the environment that we currently live and while ensuring that the future generation’s ability to utilize the natural resources in the same way is not jeopardized. This way, humanity wins.
The IPF has launched an initiative called IPF Green, bringing together young climate change activists in the global south.
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