“I believe in the principle of leaving no one behind. Through my writings and projects, I am inspiring minds from marginalized regions across Africa, and the world, to feel more empowered to create and demand real solutions to the climate crisis.”
- Oluwaseyi Moejoh
"The climate crisis is one of the heaviest burdens the West has put on Africa’s back, leaving her to fend for herself against a beast that dictates whether people can eat or even breathe. Thankfully, the continent has strong warriors, like Oluwaseyi Moejoh, a writer and the only African contributing editor for the youth-led climate publication OH-Wake Magazine.
Civic space is considered repressed in Moejoh’s home country of Nigeria, where media freedom is under constant threat. Journalists face harassment and arrest while attempting to simply do their jobs. Still, with the media being a powerful tool for young activists, Moejoh worked with The Lonely Whale Foundation to launch the African chapter of OH-Wake in Nigeria this year — a move that empowers young activists to find their voice while also expanding freedom of expression in her home country.
“Through writing, I tell stories about hidden realities, amplify voices of the unheard, and enlighten minds about the potential they have within them to change the narrative,” Moejoh tells Global Citizen. “Through my words, I aim to uncover profound perspectives, igniting a collective consciousness that recognizes the urgency of our environmental challenges and highlights the antidote called ACTION.”
Moejoh believes in the importance of using her voice and sharing stories from the youth's perspective, applying her talent for writing and storytelling to speak out about the dangers of climate change and the need for immediate action. In OH-Wake Magazine, she covers topics ranging from the need for a global collaborative effort to end the climate crisis to the “how-to” basics of starting a community movement.
“I strongly believe that knowledge can unlock possibilities to a better world and writing offers a pathway to knowledge, giving young people the agency and confidence to defend our planet,” she says.
Activists like Moejoh are using and defending their freedom of expression to tell world leaders what the youth need and want for their future, calling for participation in political conversations that are so often held behind closed doors, and demanding transparency and accountability for their actions.
While her main focus is on the power of storytelling in activism, the climate champion is also the co-founder of the U-Recycle initiative, an organization that mobilizes young people in Nigeria to take climate action and educates them about plastic pollution, ocean conservation, and the need to protect biodiversity. "
MENTOR: Joe Mccarthy
Global Citizen’s Emerging Creatives Program provides a platform for emerging creatives in the Global South that are highlighting the need for open civic space worldwide. Through their art, they call for change, shine a light on social injustices, and advocate for the advancement of the Global Goals.
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South African-born Simphiwe Molefe, uses his photography to show the impacts of energy issues in the country. His collection of images titled, Impilo Iyaqhubeka, translates to mean “life goes on” in isiZulu and looks at how every day members of his community cope with South Africa’s ongoing power crisis.
In 2023, South Africa’s civic space rating was downgraded from “narrowed,” to “obstructed” — the third worst rating a country can have. That’s why Molefe believes creatives like himself have a role to play in highlighting the effects of the failure of basic services such as the power crisis in South Africa.