Kambia District Inspires Youth Participation in Climate Action
The Kambia District Council on Friday officially launched the Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) with funding support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, marking a significant step towards empowering young people to lead climate action initiatives across the district.
Delivering her remarks, the Chairperson of the occasion, who also serves as the Kambia District Youth Chairperson, Isatu Moses, underscored the critical role of young people in driving sustainable development. She expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the Kambia District Council for creating a platform that empowers the district’s youth to actively participate in climate action and community development.
The Chief Administrator of the Kambia District Council, Mohamed Osman Marrah, welcomed participants and described the launch as a timely opportunity to strengthen youth engagement in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.
Speaking on behalf of civil society, the Chairperson of the Civil Society Movement, Aminata Turay-Kamara, expressed profound gratitude to the Kambia District Council for recognizing the importance of youth inclusion through the Youth Climate Action Fund. She commended the Council for initiating a programme that places young people at the centre of local climate solutions.
Providing an overview of the initiative, the Kambia City Lead for the Youth Climate Action Fund, Mohamed Abass Kamara, explained that the project will issue a call for proposals from eligible youth groups whose project ideas align with the Kambia District Council climate priorities. He noted that successful proposals will be closely monitored throughout implementation to ensure accountability, transparency, and effective delivery of results.
Speaking on the eligibility criteria for the US$50,000 project grant, Kamara stated that registered youth groups with project leaders aged 15 to 24 years are eligible to apply. Each successful group will receive grants of up to US$5,000 to implement innovative climate action projects.
Kamara further disclosed that the Youth Climate Action Fund is expected to benefit 300 cities worldwide, with Kambia District selected as one of the participating local authorities. He emphasized that the initiative seeks to support highly innovative, youth-led climate solutions that promote environmental sustainability and community development across the district.