Category: Nature

Storyteller of the Month - QnA with Thuku Kariuki

Thuku Kariuki, Journalist and Nature Conservation Reporter.
October 9, 2024
Filmmakers, Journalist, Nature, Nature Conservation

This month we are taking you all the way to Nairobi Kenya to meet our storyteller of the month.

Thuku Kariuki is a producer/production manager and a filmmaker at Afrika Live Media, a pan-African media production company based in Nairobi, Kenya.  He has worked in the media industry for the last 14 years. And for the last 9 years, Thuku has worked as a Nature conservation and environment documentary filmmaker / journalist. This 9 years of environmental journalism has led him to work for several local and international media organizations among them Deutsche Welle, Giving Nature a Voice for The Aga Khan University School of media and communication in partnership with NTV and TRT World News. Thuku has produced tens of environment conservation stories for DW Eco Africa, a pan African environment magazine show broadcast on Deutsche Well TV and through their partners NTV Uganda and channels TV Nigeria. He has produced tens of stories in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

So we want to use this feature to highlight some of those key moments to see places where we can find inspiration and lessons from his story and experiences.

What inspired your shift to nature and environmental documentary filmmaking over the last nine years?
I have had the love for the environment from when I was a very young man watching my dad plant trees and sometimes planting with him and also tilling the land with my parents and loving how they were planning their different fields. I come from a very green zone with a very well kept and neat compound so when I became a journalist and started practicing, of course I was forced to cover what was on the docket but from time to time, I would get a chance to do environment stories and that’s when I discovered my love for the environment filmmaking and storytelling. Environment stories would give me more peace and comfort when I covered them. 9 years ago, when my company Afrika Live Media started working for Deutsche Welle Eco Africa program, I got a chance to purely cover environment and I have never looked back. Now, I am growing “My Green Village” platforms as an outlet to my environment stories. I have since been doing both environment films and text stories for different outlets both in Kenya and around the world.

African indigenous knowledge and practices are the golden card to conservation in Africa. If you look back at traditional African practices from getting medicine and food from the forest to bee keeping and other practices, it was all linked to conservation because everything was coming from the protected areas… When I’m doing my films, I try as much as possible to capture the community driven practices that are applicable to their areas as opposed to the ones borrowed from other places.

Thuku Kariuki
Journalist and Nature conservation reporter

Can you share a memorable or challenging experience from filming in nature that deepened your commitment to conservation?

I was once producing a story on the Nairobi River Clean-up – Once a dump site, now a park. The story entailed a number of facets from garbage management to improving the quality of life for Nairobians through city redesigning and new building technologies. When filming in Kibera with a local conservation group Mazingira Yetu, I noticed how difficult it was to navigate the heaps of garbage, sewage rivers and open sewers but I saw a very clear resolve with locals and the organization to make things work for a better environment especially in cutting down the free-flowing waste. With that in mind and in my resolve to make things better, I upped my commitment in planting and growing trees and went ahead to establish groups and schools’ participation in My Green Village Initiatives. To keep the message alive, I make sure most of the motivational videos from My Green Village activities are and distributed through different channels. 

You’ve produced several stories for DW Eco Africa, TRT World News, NTV Uganda, and Africa Live TV. Could you tell us about a specific conservation story that had a significant impact on you or your audience?
A few years ago, I produced a story on the restoration of Kirisia Forest in Samburu county in northern Kenya whereby a local community had vacated the forest area they had occupied and degraded for years and they become the guardians of the forest. To me, that was a big win for the environment and the community and it inspired me to keep telling more such like impactful stories in a move to help communities from all over the world learn from each other. The story got a huge and positive feedback from the audience and the community has requested us to film a more detailed documentary about their work so that it can be used as an educational piece all over the world. I went back to Kirisia Forest later on to monitor progress – which was very positive and I planted some trees.
Kenyan Documentary Filmmaker - Thuku Kariuki
What role do you think storytelling plays in driving environmental change and influencing policy?
Storytelling is a very strong tool in driving environment change and influencing policy because it makes people interact with and understand matters as presented both with facts and data helping people understand exactly what is at stake. Storytelling gives a revelation and opens peoples eyes to either take action or suffer the consequences.

Given the increasing importance of addressing climate change, what do you see as the biggest challenge in environmental journalism today?
The biggest challenges in environmental journalism today are the gap between experts and journalist and resources to help journalists in their work. In many countries in Africa, experts are still not readily available for journalist when in need hence the lack of expertise contribution in most cases therefore frustrating journalists in their environment reporting.

Can you share how your work with Giving Nature a Voice has contributed to the conservation discourse in Kenya?
Giving Nature A Voice connected journalists to production resources as well as to conservation communities hence helping bring the environment cases that needed shining a light on. This project helped different communities learn from each other about matters environment conservation making it easy for them to take up conservation initiatives that they never knew could work on their areas. The project also helped enlighten communities about environment challenges around them and how to overcome them.

What do you believe is unique about the African approach to environmental conservation, and how do you try to capture that in your films?
African indigenous knowledge and practices are the golden card to conservation in Africa. If you look back at traditional African practices from getting medicine and food from the forest to bee keeping and other practices, it was all linked to conservation because everything was coming from the protected areas. In many African societies, the forest was seen as a holy place and therefore protected and respected. In the places that they are still practicing the tradition management practices, conservation is more successful than in other areas. When I’m doing my films, I try as much as possible to capture the community driven practices that are applicable to their areas as opposed to the ones borrowed from other places. My films are community based, local solutions for local problems.

Kenyan Nature Conservation Journalist Thuku Kariuki

What advice would you give to young filmmakers who are passionate about using their skills for nature conservation and climate storytelling?
To young filmmakers and storytellers, my advice is simple. Start by understanding what is in it in nature conservation from a community perspective. Its all about the people. Humanize everything then pass your message with the simplest language possible so that you can communicate and reason with everyone from young children to old people.

Storyteller of the Month - Q&A with Obed Temba Tuyumvire

Obed Temba Tuyumvire, African Climate Storyteller of the month
July 7, 2024
Eco-tourism, Nature, Storyteller of the Month, Storytellers, Wildlife Conservation

It’s that time of the month again when we share with you our interview with someone using storytelling and some form of creative expression to advocate or create awareness for one environmental issue or the other. This month we went all the way to fine our climate storyteller at the intersection of two African Countries. Obed Temba  Tuyumvire is a national of  the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Rwanda. Follow his story to know why. Let’s dive in…

Who is Obed Temba Tuyumvire and explain to us why we have found you at the intersection of two African countries?

The colonial border lines between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda transformed my mother land into a no-man’s land and divided my family into three different countries citizens. My village was from then engulfed and lost in the first created National Park of Africa, The Virunga National Park. That situation resulted into a serious civil war that pushed my small family into refuge until the massacre of some of my family members by Rwandan genocide perpetrators. My chaotic young life surviving multiple refugee settlements forged me into the resilient man that I am today. I got inspiration from the horrors that my grandfather endured in colonialist Congo. And so after my teenage age, I tried to go back to find the ruined lands but I was kidnapped by modern day rebels whom I later miraculously escaped. From then, I serendipitously met a couple from Illinois who had lost their way in route to Virunga National Park, that forever changed my life. From the ashes of my story, a new beginning emerged for me. From these ruins of a painful past, I preached for a radiant future to the hopeless and do my best to influence my society through different initiatives. I am currently the CEO and founder of Kumbukumbu Tours, – selling Eco-tourist expeditions across Sub-Saharan African countries. In addition, I am also the co-founder and CEO of the Congo Rainforest Fund, a nonprofit NGO conserving and restoring the rich flora and fauna of The Democratic Republic of Congo.

Obed Temba Tuyumvire from the Democratic Republic of Congo

How did surviving multiple refugee settlements shape your perspective on resilience and hope?

Surviving this extreme refugee setback, living more than a decade in a tarpaulin, insufficient in quality and quantity meal taught me to be patient is front of a difficult situation, to endure hours and days of starvation while working hard for a decent mean to celebrate with intense joy. In such life conditions our differences were meaningless. War, poverty and hunger have no ear, no conscience and nor religion my father used to repeat… Without having committed any faults, without any religious, ethnic or economic antecedents, killers came; they brought misery to each and every one in my village…Everyone was affected; tolerance was an automatic value. we all had to survive and transform wound into scars everyday. As an adult, I look at these scars like medallions in a competitive race, in a desperate society.

How do you integrate your personal history and cultural heritage into your business and advocacy work?

The entire time spent in refugee settlements was an occasion for me to learn about the root causes of our misery and my ultimate dream was to find a platform where to tell the details a community story twisted by belligerents at the same time fighting for dignified life. I stepped out as a volunteer guide with an intense motivation. My first visit to the Virunga National Park destroyed by war as a guide confirmed my conviction for this profession. On the ruins of the painful past, I wanted to build a radiant future for myself and my community; It shone in me with hope of belonging to a society of conviviality and respect for the right to a healthy environment.

Obed Temba Tuyumvire and Virunga Mountain Natives

The ashes of this brutal story are the silt that fertilizes my dreams of a peaceful and succulent future, a future without the crackle of bullets or displaced communities. I use these memories of my troubled childhood as a basis for my projects to create a new, equitable society.

Obed Temba Tuyumvire
Music composer &  Environmental justice  and conservation ADVOCATE

Can you tell us more about the Virunga National Park and why it holds such significance for you?

My grand-grandfather Nsana can be the right emblem of the relationship between the wild beasts that inhabited the Virunga Mountains and the natives who lived in harmony with mountain gorillas. Well, at least until the unfortunate arrival of the white man. With the succession of stories including the creation of the Virunga National Park in 1925, my family woven through different dramas that determined the fate of our entire community: the descendants of Nsana, the noble herdsman who first settled in these volcanic mountains at the end of the 18 Century.

From Nsana, Rukurungu—father of Sebahunde – was born. From Sebahunde, Karamira was born, from Karamira, Nduhura was born, the progenitor of my direct grandfather Nshizirungu. The colonial era drove out this herding clan from their land in the Virunga Mountains, marking the beginning of a conflict of sovereignty and identity across the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo Uganda and Rwanda.  My generation embodies the spirit and the souvenirs of this natural heritage in which volcanoes converge around a magnificent forest populated by a variety of species of animals, particularly mountain gorillas. When the colonists left, this heritage was unfortunately disrupted by an identity crisis that resulted in chronic violence. Repeated massacres caused the displacement of uncountable people. Even now, we still swarm in refugee camps.

Now we (the new generation) have come to realize that there are two kinds of predators: wild animals and wild animals armed with guns.  It is unfortunate that we are losing the powerful testimony of our grandparents that could serve as a model for life: the conviviality between humans and animals.

Obed Temba Tuyumvire, Founder of the Congo Rainforest Fund.

How did your experiences inspire you to start Kumbukumbu Tours and the Congo Rainforest Fund?

The ashes of this brutal story are the silt that fertilizes my dreams of a peaceful and succulent future, a future without the crackle of bullets or displaced communities. I use these memories of my troubled childhood as a basis for my projects to create a new, equitable society. My traditional customs draw on the intrinsic values of the African philosophy of life: we must seek to give peace if we want to gain it. It is necessary for communities around the Virunga Park to overcome the impulse to negate one another, think progress and business. With this freedom and basic right to everyone, we are dreaming to rebuild our destroyed Virungas ecosystem. By owning, keeping and sharing this story I hope to inspire financial investment in the Virunga, whereby tourists can visit the park and be a source of income to be used for protecting its people and environment. Without the contribution of us (the Inhabitants) who live near the park, it is not easy to preserve this universal heritage. The problem of the conservation requires a synergy of good will, effort, and active participation of all actors animated by a sense of ecological wellbeing.

 What inspired the composition of the Gorilla Song, which was recently launched at the Hollywood Climate Summit in Los Angeles and what message do you hope to convey through it?

In a sense of synergy, engaging the entertainment industry in conservation is crucial. Through the Song, I wanted to give a piece of an academic lesson on what is a gorilla, what is this magnificent cousin of us on the way to extinction. The gorilla song is and will remain an asset, a tool, to bring the attention of big crowd and bring an added value to the campaigning efforts.

What role has the Gorilla song played in advocating for endangered species?

 A good number of people learned about them, it was an innovation in the conservation marketing tools. People were educated and will keep it as a memorial to all the efforts invested by several actors to keep these species alive while transcending generations.

What was the experience like launching the Gorilla song at the Hollywood Climate Summit?

Launching the song during the Hollywood Climate Summit was a magic occasion to talk gorilla stories, it was an innovation by its kind. After the last evening of the summit, we took the occasion to invite everyone to the launching venue at one of the spots around Venice Beach next day. Before singing gorillas, I took a good moment to go through my story and the gorilla stories, giving an overview on why they matter a lot. The song was performed by the artist DAVE MUNTNER  and was launched with other similar subjected songs in one Album among them: Dancing with Penguins, and Running with Cheetah, in the honor of other species conservation efforts. My dream is to see the Gorilla song reach a huge audience and even become as popular as “Toto-Africa.”

How do you see the relationship between eco-tourism and environmental conservation in your work?

For me there is no minus between Eco-Tourism and Environmental Conservation. The two are twins, and to sustain and keep our environment, communities need to survive as well.  Tourism as a business is one of the biggest industries that can destroy or sustain our environment, we just need to use it as a tool to empower local communities following the conservation ethics and code. In 2019 the government of Rwanda has used 5.6% from the tourism revenue to build schools, medical centers, clean water infrastructures around the Volcanoes (Virunga in local language) National park. More that 100 poachers have integrated the park rangers in the same park team because tourism has created those job vacation for them.

Nyiragongo Crater

What are some of the eco-tourist expeditions offered by Kumbukumbu Tours and what makes them unique?

Yes, one of our most famous expeditions is to explore the Congo Basin within 30 days. The money paid is mostly shared among the very local and remote taxi, restaurant  and home stays, 25% of the budget used to support local schools or build water wells where they need them.

How can people support the Congo Rainforest Fund and get involved in your conservation efforts?

You can get involved to support these projects by:

  •      Adopting a baby gorilla from Kahuzi-Biega National Park
  •      Habituate a wild gorilla family
  •      Supplying park rangers with equipment kit ( shoes, uniform, water bottle, sanitaries…)
  •      Sponsor pygmies community children at school
  •      Sponsoring a clan water well in the neighborhood of Kinshasa
  •      We also seek for partners and sponsors to organize the very first gorilla birthday party in 2025

Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or initiatives you are working on with Kumbukumbu Tours or the Congo Rainforest Fund?

We are working on a big project of research and data analysis on the montane Forest of Itombwe, and Preparing for our Gorilla Birth Day Party.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs and advocates looking to combine business with social and environmental impact using creative storytelling?

Your effort and success will only be valued by the impact you  make on your pathway, climate change is real.

 

We hope you enjoyed this piece.

If you will like to be featured as one of our Climate Storyteller’s of the month or want to recommend a friend? Kindly use this link to indicate interest or share with friends who qualify: African Climate Stories – Storyteller of the Month.

Storyteller of the Month – Q&A with Sidney Opiyo

Sidney Opiyo - Conservation Photographer in Kenya.
May 7, 2024
Climate Activist, Nature, Photography, Storyteller of the Month, Wildlife Conservation

This month of May, we get to feature a climate storyteller from Nairobi, Kenya who is using photography for advocacy on wildlife conservation. Let’s get to meet him.

Who is Sidney Opiyo?

Sidney Opiyo is a Kenyan-born Environmental Scientist, climate activist, and conservation photographer/storyteller with experience in conservation and environmental impact projects. Recognized as a conservation leader, Sidney is deeply passionate about collaborating with young people to tackle disproportionate environmental challenges and enhance inclusion in policy and conservation spaces. With a professional background in Environmental Science and a minor in Community Development, Sidney actively advocates for meaningful youth engagement in Climate action. Through his work, Sidney focuses on conservation education and storytelling, utilizing impactful narratives to shed light on the challenges faced by minority groups and grassroots communities concerning biodiversity conservation and climate change. His stories serve as powerful tools for empowering communities and young people, helping them understand the direct impacts of their decisions and actions on the environment. He runs the Shades of Green a platform dedicated to amplifying community voices in Kenya and Africa by leveraging visual storytelling to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues. He is currently a post-graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz pursuing an MSc in Coastal Science and Policy.

What led you to conservation photography? 
For the longest time, I have been a storyteller through writing and blogging. So, photography for me, became a tool for amplifying the stories that I have wanted to tell. When I got to campus to study environmental science, I got the challenge and asked myself how I can break down some of these complex science jargons into simple language that people at all levels can understand and, in the process, create awareness on conservation and climate issues. At the same time, I wanted to amplify the voices of young people and local communities who are involved in conservation through their various initiatives but are often not recognized when having conservation dialogues in various spaces.

Your work as a conservation photographer and storyteller is captivating. Can you share a memorable experience where your photography or storytelling made a significant impact on raising awareness about climate change or environmental issues?
My most memorable experience was when I worked with Action for Cheetahs in Kenya in 2022 where my role involved documenting their conservation work. The organization promotes the conservation of cheetahs through research, awareness, and community participation in Kenya. Part of what they do is celebrate the World Cheetah Day every October, which is what I had gone to cover in the Northern part of Kenya. Through my photography work, I was able to tell the story of the work of Action for Cheetahs in Kenya through pictorials in not only creating opportunities for locals in cheetah conservation work, but also how the organization has created harmony within the community in Northern Kenya and the welfare of cheetahs within the community. It was beautiful documenting the communities in action for cheetahs through games, trainings, workshops and conversations to understand why and how they can protect the cheetahs.

'Shades of Green' is a community conservation organisation founded by Sydney Opiyo in Kenya.

‘Champions for Cheetahs’ project as captured by Sidney Opiyo

“Shades of Green” sounds like an incredible platform. How did you come up with the idea, and what inspired you to leverage visual storytelling specifically to amplify community voices in Kenya and Africa?
Growing up on the shores of Lake Victoria on Mfangano Island, Kenya, I witnessed firsthand the profound impacts of climate change on my community. The declining fish stocks, rising water levels, and the invasion of hippos wreaked havoc on our traditional way of life. These challenges fueled my desire for environmental conservation using photography as a medium of change. This led to the development of Shades of Green, which is a platform where I use conservation photography and storytelling to shed light on community-led conservation efforts. What drives me is the belief that the stories of marginalized groups—the local community, youth, women, and indigenous people—are crucial narratives that must be heard. These stories not only highlight the socio-political dynamics of conservation but also underscore the strengths and barriers within these inequalities.

Fish breeding ground captured by Sydney Opiyo. Kenyan wildlife conservation photographer

Fish breeding ground captured by conservation photographer, Sidney Opiyo

What drives me is the belief that the stories of marginalized groups—the local community, youth, women, and indigenous people—are crucial narratives that must be heard. 

Sidney Opiyo
CONSERVATION Photographer 

In your opinion, how does storytelling contribute to empowering communities and young people in understanding the direct impacts of their decisions and actions on the environment?
I am driven by my belief in the profound impact of visual storytelling. Photography, for me, is more than just capturing moments; it’s a medium for change, connecting people with nature, and inspiring behavioral shifts that echo through generations. We are visual beings. For example, being able to see a place is much different from hearing about it. You can hear a sound byte and not understand anything about it but if you see a photo, it suddenly means something to you, and you develop a relationship with it. That is the role of conservation photography and storytelling. I believe in the deep impact of powerful visual storytelling and how these stories are, in raising awareness and gaining support for conservation and action for climate change. Photography helps connect people and nature to catalyze behavioral change that will have a lasting impact on the environment.

You mentioned focusing on shedding light on challenges faced by minority groups and grassroots communities in biodiversity conservation and climate change. Can you elaborate on a specific project or story where you addressed these challenges through your photography and storytelling?
Marginalization of certain groups like women, youth, grassroot communities and indigenous people in conservation is real. I am from one of the smallest communities in Kenya – the Suba Community. During the corona virus, myself, together with other community members co-founded a community-based organization called Train My Generation CBO where I am responsible for conservation projects spearheaded by the organization. Priority for me has been creating awareness on environmental issues within my community, on Mfangano Island, Kenya. Storytelling and photography have been important in highlighting the challenges within the lake. Having been already disadvantaged geographically and detached from various social and economic services, storytelling has been important in highlighting the different challenges within the community and also rallying for partnerships to support efforts in conserving not only the island but also the bordering Lake Victoria.

As a conservation leader, how do you envision meaningful youth engagement in climate action? And how do you incorporate this vision into your advocacy work and storytelling efforts?
I am privileged to be a youth but also that most of my work for the last few years has been with the youth especially in learning institutions. I am proud to say that the youth are currently doing amazing work in the conservation space. They have actually taken initiative and are acting to secure their future and the future of their offspring today. This is bound to sharply increase as the youth actively realize that their future is in their hands and most importantly that they make the largest population of very many countries. This means that they have the power to create meaningful change. My work as a storyteller is to advance their work through amplifying their voices and getting the work that they do get noticed out there particularly the amazing work, innovations and inventions that they are making especially within the climate change and environmental conservation space.

Transitioning to your academic pursuits, how do you see your studies in Coastal Science and Policy complementing your work in conservation photography and storytelling?
Coastal Science and Policy will be helpful in understanding the work and efforts that goes into policy work in protecting oceans but also freshwater ecosystems. In understanding policies within ocean conservation and coastal regions, it will help shape the storytelling and science communication efforts that support such causes.

Can you share some insights into how your professional background in Environmental Science and Community Development influences your approach to conservation photography and storytelling?
My background in Environmental Science and Community Development has greatly influenced my work in conservation photography and storytelling. My understanding of various environmental issues has been important in helping break down some of these complex science jargons and making them easily understandable. This background has also helped me understand conservation issues in the context of communities as well as the efforts that these communities are already making to adapt and mitigate some of these challenges of the environment. In understanding this, with my science background, I then can now tell science stories that have communities at the centre. I am able to tell community-centred science stories because the communities are not only the beneficiaries of the stories but also the characters within the stories and the changemakers who make conservation work. This is not just negative stories but stories of hope, stories of a better future, stories that inspire communities to take action for the present and the future.

What are some of the key messages or themes you aim to convey through your photography and storytelling, particularly concerning climate change and environmental issues?
Through my conservation photography, I highlight different issues. For example, human-wildlife conflict in the context of climate change, marginalization of certain groups like women, youth and indigenous people in conservation in climate conversation spaces, highlighting stories on climate change particularly climate justice, mitigation and adaptation and most recently, loss and damage.

How do you navigate the balance between raising awareness about environmental challenges and inspiring hope or action through your storytelling and photography?
I aim to highlight and raise awareness on the effectiveness of human-centered conservation and tell local conservation stories highlighting both the challenges but mostly highlighting the efforts that young people, women and local communities and indigenous people are putting in conservation, climate change through adaptation and mitigation. The goal is to inspire action. In documenting these conservation stories and efforts, these become testaments, bridging the gap between reality, understanding, reminding us that in the face of adversity, compassion can ignite change.

Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring conservation photographers and storytellers who are passionate about making a positive impact on the environment and communities through their work?
My advice to aspiring photographers is to invest in telling authentic stories. This can be
through doing research, also learning from people who have been ahead in the game but
mostly genuinely connecting with the communities whose stories you are telling and allow
them to tell their stories as they are.

Sidney Opiyo - Conservation Photographer in Kenya.

To connect with Sidney use this link 

Use this link to share your story with us to be featured as our next Climate Storyteller of the month https://forms.gle/k63zFBsaTTAydfMQA  

Thabo the Sea Turtle

The story of Thabo the sea Turtle by Priscilla Ibadin
April 3, 2024
Creative Writing, Nature, Poetry, Stories

The Serengeti, a place where lions roar, elephants trumpet, and wild beasts thunder, with towering ancient oak, gnarled branches reaching towards the heavens like outstretched arms. However, there lay a hidden secret that only those attuned to nature could perceive.

Beneath the waves, lived an old green sea turtle named Thabo, who had roamed the oceans for decades, with age comes wisdom and Thabo had witnessed firsthand the wonders and challenges of marine life.

Thabo had seen the ocean change over the years, from the bustling coral reefs teeming with life to the barren stretches of seabed ravaged by pollution and overfishing she watched as human activities encroached upon the pristine beaches where she and her kind had nested for generations. Thabo glides gracefully through the crystal-clear waters, encountering a tangled mass of plastic debris drifting lazily on the surface of her home. The once-pristine ocean was now littered with trash—discarded bottles, bags, and other debris that posed a grave threat. Along the way, she encountered countless other sea creatures who had fallen victim to the scourge of human pollution.

Thabo soon realized that pollution was just one of many threats facing her beloved ocean home. Habitat destruction, climate change, illegal trade, bycatch, and boat strikes—all posed grave dangers to the delicate balance of life beneath the waves. Poachers continued to target sea turtles and their eggs, despite the laws put in place to protect them. Fishing fleets cast their nets indiscriminately, ensnaring sea turtles in their deadly embrace. And the relentless march of coastal development threatened to destroy what little remained of their natural habitat. How then can Thabo’s family be conserved?

 
Poem
Wildlife sees Man as a walking beast, 
Who visits only when he needs to feast
Beneath the seas and upon the air, 
Man only causes fear.

Behold the sea turtle ancient and wise, 
With a shell that glitters under the skies,
to human ears, their language may seem,

Like whispers in a tranquil dream,
Amidst the reefs and forest of kelp, 
They find solace with the oceans help, 
Foraging for food with graceful glide, 
Their survival dependent on the oceans tide.
The message is clear,
A cry for help, a plea sincere.
Priscilla Ibadin - Guest Content Writer on African Climate Stories

Priscilla Ibadin

Guest Content Writer on African Climate Stories.
About the Author

Priscilla Ibadin is an ocean science communicator and marine superhero who bridges the gap between complex science concepts, and the local public through research and outreach projects. Without a cape, she uses her passion for the ocean to inspire and educate others about its wonders and the importance of conservation.

Storyteller of the Month - Q&A with Aida Namukose

African Climate Stories - Storyteller of the Month, Aida Namukose.
March 8, 2024
Documentary, Nature, Photography, Storyteller of the Month

Who is Aida Namukose?
Aida Namukose is a freelance photographer and eco-feminist from Uganda. She is passionate about human rights for all, nature based living and an imperialist free Africa.

What personal experiences sparked your passion for telling climate related stories?

Without realising it, I think the experience of simply growing up in Uganda developed a passion in me for the environment that eventually translated into telling climate related stories. I grew up next to the river Nile and witnessed all the abundant agricultural activity that takes place here. Consequently, I also experienced the far reaching effects that a changing climate has on the landscape and people, most especially the women. 

Having a gift for photography, this became my medium of communicating some of these experiences.  

 

How does photography effectively communicate the urgency of climate and environmental problems?

To me, photography acts as an archive. It helps us compare changes in landscapes and the environments over time, as well as human relationship to it. Currently, photography is a tool that can be used to document remote and typically “off the map’ stories, putting together a more comprehensive picture of climate change.

Aida Namukose, Kenyan Documentary Photographer on African Climate Stories
Aida Namukose – Documentary Photographer

I believe that connecting and truly resonating with the people/landscapes one is planning to photograph is a good start. That way, you can bring out their own unique story and experience with climate change that will resonate with audiences as rich and authentic. –

Aida Namukose

What was it like telling the stories of women working in the Ugandan food industry, and how climate change affects thier lives and work?

I started doing this work quite young, and thus it was not the easiest of experiences; approaching strangers and having to navigate an age or language barrier sometimes. However, it was also an adventurous experiences that allowed me access to certain rural ugandan settings I might not have visited otherwise. I also got to connect with warm and interesting women who were willing to share with me their stories.

Why do you think the transitioning from a freelance photographer to a climate documentary photographer was easy for you?

My transition was a lucky one; through a photo submitted to a competition,  I was initially working under Climate Generate, a research project on gender and climate change in urban areas in Uganda. I had the guidance of one of the researchers and eventually got to join a class hosted by FOTEA and UPPA that allowed us to develop more climate stories as a cohort (I loved working as a group with other ugandan photographers and also appreciated and needed the paid opportunity). 

What photography storytelling techniques do you find most impactful in engaging your audience on climate and environmental issues?

I think it’s important to really bring a setting to life for the viewer; through the use of color, composition, subject etc. This draws their attention and makes them more likely to care about the place and the story. I also think good writing (for captions and context) goes hand in hand perfectly with photography for informing audiences on climate and environmental issues.

Photo by Aida Namukose
Photo by Aida Namukose
Photo by Aida Namukose
Photo by Aida Namukose
Photo by Aida Namukose
Aida Namukose
Aida Namukose’s Documentary Photography Gallery

How do you balance conveying the severity of climate and environmental problem with inspiring hope and action in your photography?

Thankfully, I have mostly focused on solutions based stories with themes of hope and community/individual resilience. I believe it is important to convey the severity of the status quo with photography, and there is also a need for hopeful and inspiring stories. 

Can you share a success story where your storytelling efforts led to positive change or increased awareness?

I can’t speak confidently to any positive change my storytelling efforts have had but in 2023 I was exhibited in the Guggenheim Musuem through The World Around Young Climate Prize and having such a global and diverse audience for my work was flattering and inspiring.

Additionally, through my fellowship with Girl Rising I got to work on different stories such as that of Mercy Wanjiku in Nanyuki region, allowing me to document and broadcast grassroots efforts in the climate fight. Creating a media portfolio for them which could aid in funding and scaling.

What advice do you have for others looking to use documentary photography as a tool for climate and environmental advocacy?

Just get out there and practice/start. The path appears as you start to walk down it. If this is something that resonates with you, I encourage you to embrace it actively and wholeheartedly as photography is an excellent tool for documentation and creative expression. 

Aida Namukose,

Eco-Feminist

Photographer

Link to portfolio

How do you navigate communicating complex concepts like climate change in a way that resonates with a broad audience using photography?

 I believe that connecting and truly resonating with the people/landscapes one is planning to photograph is a good start. That way, you can bring out their own unique story and experience with climate change that will resonate with audiences as rich and authentic.

What role do diverse voices and perspectives play in effective communication of environmental issues?

Diverse voices and perspectives are necessary for creating a holistic and broad picture of environmental issues. Environmental issues can be approached from many different angles and lenses; financial, indigenous, agricultural, spiritual etc. In order to capture all these layers we need different people from different places with varying worldviews all engaged in storytelling.

How do you personally cope with the emotional toll of engaging with diverse environmental challenges in your storytelling?

Honestly, I am unfortunately accustomed to the status quo of society and how women tend to carry extra burdens with social issues. So it’s not shocking to me, though it can be disheartening to interact upclose with these problems and not have the capacity to fix them immediately. As a storyteller, we have to make peace with the fact that our contribution is that of our art, and it counts for something.

Additionally, I try to approach my creative work with a spirit of radical hope and belief that this world can change for the better. Believing that what I do helps shape a more inclusive and informed continent, despite the environmental challenges that are currently upfront.

What advice do you have for young people who want to venture into environmental and climate change advocacy using documentary photography?

(for fear of repeating myself), just get out there and start. With whatever equipment and stories you have access to, try it out and grow as you go. YouTube is an amazing resource for any knowledge gaps you might face. I think documentary photography is a worthwhile and important path for environmental and climate change advocacy (though I’m biased) and would be happy to see more African youth joining the train and becoming creative advocates.

Aida Namukose, Eco-Feminist Photographer

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