Young in rescue bid for Lake Victoria

Having been born along the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, Rahmina Paulette said she has witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change leading to great difficulties like drought and floods.

The 15-year-old teenager from Kisumu city in western Kenya said East Africa is highly dependent on Lake Victoria, but high pollution has led to poisoning of the water, suffocation of aquatic life, soil erosion and health problems in people living around the lake.

As Paulette grew older, she realized she was slowly turning from being a witness to a victim of lake degradation. So, she decided to take action and save the lake in her own little way.

"Being an Indigenous person from Lake Victoria, I would like to help restore the ecosystem for my community that has an ancestral connection to the lake and also for the future generations to enjoy the cool breeze, good smells and see the biodiversity within Lake Victoria," Paulette said.

The lake is also the world's second-largest freshwater lake.

In her efforts to end pollution in the lake, Paulette started an environmental organization called Kisumu Environmental Champions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when schools in Kenya were closed.

The young environmental champions carry out their activities during the weekends, and the group focuses on environmental conservation, climate change awareness and wildlife conservation.

Global recognition

The group, with about 200 members so far, has embarked on the removal of the invasive plant hyacinth from the lake to make eco-friendly products. This project has earned Paulette international recognition. The group has made furniture, paper, cards, folders, document holders, bags and carton boxes from the water hyacinth.

With help from her mother, Paulette is looking to scale up activities as she urges all Kenyans to incorporate eco-friendly ways in their day-to-day lives.

Apart from activists like Paulette, other organizations are casting the net wider in their bid to save the lake. One such group is nonprofit Osienala in western Kenya.

Osienala has been cooperating with international partners such as those from China to save Lake Victoria. Through interactions with environmental protection experts from China, they have learned integrated watershed management, a strategy that has been successfully implemented in the protection of Poyang Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in China.

"The project by China built our capacity in the sustainable development of Lake Victoria basin. Together, we developed demonstration models, policy recommendations and international applications for the sustainable development of Lake Victoria basin with the assistance of Chinese experts," Obiero Onganga, Osienala's executive director, said.