"Climate change in Kenya: if we don't act now, we Turkana could lose our homes"

My people, the Turkana, live in Turkana county, one of the poorest regions in Kenya...[They] have lived off this dry, hot stretch of land near the Ugandan border for centuries. But like fellow Kenyans – and Africans – the changing climate has made our daily lives more difficult...When oil and gas extraction companies came into our territories in 2011, my people were hopeful that they would improve our lives by offering desperately needed jobs. But they only recruited from some villages, not others, leading to tension among our once-harmonious communities. And once these companies started oil and gas exploration, it had an impact on the water supply to our pasturelands, as there was less to go round.

...I meet with villagers of all ages and talk to them about what they can do to protect themselves and their land against extreme weather and the impact of oil and gas exploitation. Every week, I meet with a group of young people in my community to plan action and empower the local community. For example, we organise youth summits to outline our demands to the oil and gas companies, which include respecting our traditional practices, safeguarding our sacred lands, shielding our grazing sites and upholding environmental standards.