COP27: Children of Malawi demand a better future

Source: Jesuit Missions

COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, is already underway, and Jesuit Missions - the international development and mission office of the Jesuits in Britain - is committed to amplifying the voices of those suffering from climate change, particularly those on the same continent as the conference.

In the past few years, we have supported communities in Malawi affected by Cyclone Idai. In partnership with local communities, we are trying to minimise the devastating effects of climate change all over the world, particularly in the Global South. The natural phenomena have been brutal not only in Malawi, but also in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, one of the countries that our Programmes Officer, Lucy Gillingham, has visited this year.

Today, Jesuit Missions presents the powerful stories of children from Kasungu LEA Primary School in Malawi. These testimonies, shared by the Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development, reflect perfectly the certainty that time is not running out, but rather has already run out for millions of people in the Global South. This is what the children in the attached letter tell the world: "We are hopeless, children in Africa are hopeless, and we need a better tomorrow."

As well, they describe how their entire lives have been turned upside down by climate change and the inaction taken to combat it. "Floods and cyclones are continuing to intensify and thus hinder us from attaining good education and quality health care among other basic services and rights. "Our schools get destroyed, our classrooms, teaching and learning materials get washed away. We have no choice but to stop going to school."

The Director of Jesuit Missions, Paul Chitnis, reiterates his call on world leaders to correct a historical injustice and fully supports the message of our Malawian partners advocating climate justice and ambitious action to combat the climate crisis. "It has become evident from our own work in Southern Africa that climate change is affecting people's livelihoods now. The ongoing COP27 is essential to fulfilling the legacy of COP26 as well as providing significant financial assistance for loss and damage", stated Mr Chitnis.

As the children from Malawi so movingly expressed: "Climate change is real. Our generation is feeling it, and indeed we are experiencing it. In Malawi, we have been experiencing each year now floods, droughts, storms, cyclones, pests, and diseases."

One year has already passed since COP26, and global leaders are once again meeting to discuss the next steps in addressing climate change. We have run out of time, as our partners have told us, but we cannot allow ourselves to be paralysed. In 2021, many Jesuit Missions supporters demonstrated on the streets of Glasgow. Despite the distance from this year's COP, it is still possible to stand in solidarity with the people already most affected by its outcome. In order to demonstrate solidarity with these voices from Africa, we launched an initiative. A "Walk, Pray, Change" campaign encourages people to walk a mile and pray for change.

Jesuit Missions is the international mission and development office of the Jesuits in Britain.

LINK

Jesuit Missions - https://jesuitmissions.org.uk/