They told me to get married, shun 'climate justice'

Vanessa Nakate, right, with Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.

For instance, water scarcity and malnutrition and other vagaries of the ongoing drought in the horn of Africa, threaten the lives of millions who have suffered the longest drought in 40 years, says the UN.

"It is one of the horrible realities of the climate crisis," she says, "to know those least responsible are suffering the most."

The continued use of fossil fuels threatens countries with fossil fuel infrastructure, yet only the West benefits, and not the victims of extreme poverty in those countries.

She says the West can't be trusted "when they say they are bringing prosperity to Africa" and thus leaders should opt for alternatives like renewable energy which is more sustainable and "there has been a demand for climate finance to help African nations transition to renewable energy."

Debt justice and grants are needed more than loans to manage crises as was the case in Mozambique and she laments that "when climate finance comes through loans, it comes to add on already existing loans."

She reckons African leaders should use this year's CoP27 Summit in Egypt to push for specific climate demands and support activists calling for "debt justice is climate justice."

Other Goalkeeper awardees included Radhika Batra, co-founder of Every Infant Matters, a last-mile health solutions provider to disadvantaged children in India (Progress Award), Zahra Joya, an Afghan journalist who self-funded a women online news agency (Changemaker Award), and Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission (Global Goalkeeper Award).