SA CHILDREN GOING TO COPENHAGEN
SA CHILDREN GOING TO COPENHAGEN
After a rigorous process, the global United Nations youth campaign - Consider Us – has found its five South African children ambassadors. They will represent the Consider Us campaign at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next week. They will speak passionately about their views about the need to combat global warming; they will be the voice of the youth of South Africa.
Anya Tiepelt (17); Phillip Strydom (16), Daniel Smith (16); Litha Maqungo (13) and Tanya Meyer (12) are the five incredible children who have been chosen to represent the youth of South Africa at the summit.
The children are intelligent, charismatic, enthusiastic and passionate and - most importantly, they want to make a difference. They want to make sure that they – and future generations - have clean air to breathe and can live in a world they’re proud of.
Anya Tiepelt, the oldest of the group has already and amazingly managed to raise R8000 towards her funds in just 24 hours. Members of the community in Hermanus came together and donated what they could because they know Anya is the right person to be a voice at the Climate Change Summit.
“I am very aware of the environment,” says Daniel Smith from Cape Town. “Being able to speak and voice our opinions on climate change is so important”.
Phillip Strydom is a very active member of his school’s Environmental Club. He took it upon himself to start a website for the club and maintains it by himself. “I am an avid conservationist, and unless we educate everyone around us, we will not win the fight against global warming,” says Phillip.
Litha Maqungo is on the environmental committee at her school and she says “so many children in Africa don’t have a voice to speak out and be heard, even though they are the most affected. I now have the opportunity to represent the African children and be their voice”.
Tanya Meyer, the youngest of the five is this year’s winner of the National Geographic Young Conservationist Competition and she has her own vegetable garden. She is also the head of the Blairgowrie Primary Eco Club.
The Ambassadors will hand over a book with thousands of children’s messages to high ranking United Nations delegates at COP15. The messages will, in essence, contain one simple plea: Consider Us in your decision-making on tackling Climate Change.
The book will then return to Cape Town where, along with a sample of air and water from the top of Table Mountain, it will be encased in a time capsule at a purpose-built heritage site. The time capsule will be retrieved in 20 years to determine whether or not current leaders did in fact consider today’s children.
-ends-
For more information please call 021 464 1144. High res photos available if needed.