"Today is the global launch of our Power of 10 Campaign, and we are thrilled to begin this effort with the energy of young leaders from across the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora," said Felicia Davis, founder of the HBCU Green Fund. "With more than two million Black college students in the U.S., why not 10x our ambition? This campaign belongs to the youth—they will decide how these resources are used, and our job is to support their vision for real climate justice."
Moderated by HBCU Green Fund board member, Dr. Frances Roberts-Gregory, the hybrid event connected youth leaders via Zoom with panelists from the United States, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi onsite in the Digital Innovation Pavilion in Belém. Delegates discussed COP30 negotiations and highlighted transformative projects supported by The Green Fund, including:
Uganda — vertical farming, digital agriculture innovation & refugee resilience
"For refugees and displaced people who have already lost so much, climate justice means giving them the tools to rebuild their lives with dignity," said Denise Ayebare, founder of Better Life International. Her team works in the world's second-largest refugee-hosting country. Ayebare developed a Soil App that lets farmers scan soil and crops with a smartphone to diagnose soil health, moisture, pH, and plant conditions. The tool connects farmers to real markets and climate-smart practices.
Ghana — zero-emission transport & climate-smart agriculture
"When you invest in youth, you invest in resilience, opportunity, and justice," said Hussein Kassim, founder of the Center for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment. In Ghana, youth are designing solutions such as low-cost zero-emission transport prototypes for campus and community use, circular-economy plastic-recycling initiatives, and climate-smart agriculture pilots in vulnerable communities with HBCU Green Fund support, demonstrating the power of small grants to create replicable community solutions.
Malawi — youth climate leadership and tree reforestation
"Small, consistent actions can transform entire communities," said Malango Kayira, who leads a multi-school climate leadership program. Through the Green Schools, Green Future initiative, her team planted 10,000 trees across five primary schools, teaching children ages 6–14 how to steward land, conserve water, and understand climate impacts. Malango's movement also trains secondary-school youth on climate negotiations, ensuring early exposure to global processes and building a pipeline of future climate leaders.
Nigeria — grassroots adaptation and climate education
"Adaptation is not just a policy term—it is the difference between survival and loss for millions of people," said Lucky Abeng, founder of the EcoSteward Humanitarian Foundation. In Nigeria, his organization runs climate-justice education for primary and secondary students, supports community tree-growing initiatives, and trains rural and urban youth on real-world adaptation—from drought-resilient agriculture to flood-response strategies. "With the Power of 10, we can equip young people to protect land, food, and future generations," adds Abeng, who led a delegation of 25 climate leaders to COP30.
As part of their preparation for COP30, The Green Fund's youth-led Sustainable Africa Futures Network—whose guiding theme is One Struggle, One Future—met at the Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to finalize their African Youth Climate Justice Statement, representing youth voices across Africa and the Diaspora. The intention was to deliver the statement publicly in Belém. However, on Thursday, just as the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) began its press conference, a major fire broke out in the COP30 venue, forcing a full evacuation. As a result, the youth were unable to formally present their demands reflecting the priorities of young people on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Youth demands are unequivocal: honor and expand Loss and Damage commitments, cancel climate-related debt, and provide direct funding to grassroots, youth-led climate solutions. Center Africa in global climate decisions by ending neocolonial carbon offset schemes, ensuring meaningful representation, and safeguarding Indigenous lands through community stewardship. Invest in a just transition by expanding youth-led renewable energy, agroecology, and green job programs with real training-to-employment pathways. Although the statement was not delivered in the plenary, these demands continued to guide the youth's advocacy.
After the climate conference, members of the delegation traveled to Brasília to broadcast the March of Black Women for Reparation and Well-Being live to the organization's members. They joined more than 300,000 Black women from across Brazil and the Diaspora.
For the HBCU Green Fund, the march underscored exactly why the Power of 10 Campaign matters: marginalized communities are leading, and small investments can unlock transformative solutions. Connecting COP30's youth climate leadership with this historic mobilization for justice made clear that the fight for climate, racial, and gender justice is one struggle—and one future. The Power of 10 Campaign will continue through 2026, fueling youth-led projects across Africa and HBCU campuses. To support the Power of 10 Campaign visit: https://hbcugreenfund.org/donate/.
ABOUT THE HBCU GREEN FUND
The HBCU Green Fund advances climate action, sustainability, and environmental justice by investing in Black educational institutions, community innovation, and youth leadership. Since 2016, the organization has supported and trained youth delegations from HBCUs and African nations to participate in UN climate processes. Its Africa office headquartered in Dakar directed by Cheikhou Thiome, together with the US DC office directed by Illai Kenney, supports Sustainable Africa Futures Network youth-led climate projects and leadership development across HBCUs, Africa, and the African Diaspora.
CONTACT: Edrea Davis, Jazzmyne PR
PHONE: 818.613.9521
EMAIL: [email protected]
SOURCE HBCU Green Fund
Share this article