WARIDI KENYA, JENNIFFER WAIRIMU CHAMPIONS YOUTH-LED CLIMATE ACTION AHEAD OF AFRICA CLIMATE SUMMIT IN ADDIS ABABA

“Jenniffer Wairimu, popularly known as Waridi Kenya at Addis Ababa ahead of the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), where she is championing youth-led climate solutions across Africa.”

By: Glad Tv Kenya reporter 

With the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) set to open in Addis Ababa, Kenyan youth leader Jenniffer Wairimu, also known as Waridi Kenya, has called on African heads of state to prioritize funding for youth-led climate initiatives.

Wairimu, President of the Kenya Youth Organization and Executive Director of the Waridi Foundation, said the continent’s young people are already driving innovative solutions in conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable livelihoods, but their efforts are being undermined by lack of financing and limited access to decision-making platforms.

“Africa’s youth are not asking for handouts—we are asking for fairness, investment, and partnerships,” she said. “Without the inclusion of children, youth, and women at the decision-making table, Africa cannot achieve a just transition.”

She commended President William Ruto’s push for reforms of global financial systems to unlock climate financing for Africa but stressed that leaders must also create homegrown mechanisms to ensure resources reach local innovators.

Among the initiatives championed by her foundation are the PadMe Project, Lamu7s, Watamu Beach Rugby, and the Kenya Go Green Project, which focus on mangrove restoration, eco-tourism, and reducing plastic waste along the Kenyan coast and in neighboring Tanzania.

“These projects show that when young people are empowered, they can transform their communities. But we need sustained investment to scale up these solutions,” Wairimu said.

Since arriving in Ethiopia in August, Wairimu has been engaging with African youth leaders through the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice, supported by PACJA and FEMNET. The program trained and graduated over 200 young leaders with skills to advance climate justice in their home countries.

“This was not just an academic exercise—it was a journey of shaping a better Africa. I learned, unlearned, and relearned about climate change. Climate justice is not optional; it is urgent,” she said.

Wairimu’s advocacy is anchored on Africa’s disproportionate vulnerability to climate change. Despite contributing only 4% of global emissions, the continent faces severe climate shocks and requires $2.5–2.8 trillion by 2030 to meet adaptation and mitigation targets.

As delegates converge in Addis Ababa for ACS2, Wairimu insists that youth voices must be heard:

“History will judge our leaders by how they engaged with the continent’s young people. We are not the leaders of tomorrow—we are partners in the fight for climate justice today.”