Feb 14, 20223 min read

Climate activist Nyombi Morris is taking climate education to Ugandan schools 🇺🇬

Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Nyombi Morris and I'm a climate justice advocate, a Doha Debates Solvingit26 honoree and CNN environmentalist of tomorrow, under the Fridays For Future Uganda.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced?

There are two challenges. One came in September of 2021 when my Twitter account got banned by my government after a tweet I made criticising those who have approved the sale of Bugoma forest to a sugarcane company known as Hoima sugar. This ban lasted one and a half months.

The second challenge came in March 2021, three days before my birthday I got arrested while I was striking in the streets of Kampala, my phone and the protest sign, made out of cardboard, were all confiscated. It took 4 hours for the police to release me and my brothers but even after releasing us they threatened to arrest me again if they found me striking again. The authorities thought I was inciting violence which wasn’t true. But because at that time we were protesting during the elections, so maybe that could have been the reason for their actions. After the challenge I went silent for 2 months looking for a new phone and also trying to heal from my trauma.

" I will always tell my friends that a lot of noise can’t hold leaders accountable, instead our actions can make them believe in what we say ”

What’s your advice for other changemakers?

I always tell my friends that a lot of noise can’t hold leaders accountable, instead our actions can make them believe in what we say. When I first started, I found a lot of misinformation about trees and forests. For example, people in my country used to cut trees for quick money which had pushed us into this catastrophe like drought and desert.

What are the causes and struggles that are closest to your heart, and why?

I recently discovered that I had to move away from social media, to go on the ground and start educating people about trees and why we shouldn’t allow anyone to cut down trees without replacing them. Initially, my mission was to make a difference, and I shifted this to mostly primary schools; I started visiting to teach them about trees and I offered to plant some trees together with kids. All this money has been coming from the interviews I do. I don't have any private funding for this.

I have been fighting rejections for two years now both from my teammates and from a girlfriend. The girl I dated for over four years moved on with another guy when she entered university. Until this day, I wonder why she did this to me. I have been since, working tirelessly to prove her wrong. I know she will never be mine but I want her to regret it one day.

“we are taking climate change conversation to Ugandan schools and my mission is to empower and educate the young generation”

What frustrates you the most about the current world we live in?

What frustrates me most is looking at people who were good in the beginning of their journeys, then selling out after gaining popularity.

What keeps you motivated and gives you the courage to do your work?

I feel so motivated whenever I do something and people give it positive feedback for it. I am

lucky that 70% of what I do, people love it. That keeps me going.

Name three things you're the most passionate about?

I am passionate about saving the planet. I love watching my favourite football teams play. I am a big fan of Chelsea and Barcelona. I am passionate about social media and I am always looking for new updates and trends.

Any new up coming projects you would like to share with us?

My upcoming project is known as CLIMATE SCHOOL. Here we are taking climate change conversation to Ugandan schools and my mission is to empower and educate the young generation that are still at school about climate change and what simple and small actions they can take to be part of the solution. In this am fundraising for 500 textbooks, 50 trash cans for plastic collection, and 100 000 fruit tree seedlings. All these will be shared in 50 schools. Maybe if all goes well we will do another bigger fundraiser for more schools. The mission to bring new climate activists into the fight has to start now.