Kaluki Paul Mutuku

Kaluki Paul Mutuku (born March 4, 1993) is a Kenyan climate activist and environmental defender fighting to improve youth participation in decision-making around climate justice.[1] He is considered one of Africa's most prominent environmental activists.[2][3] He is the co-founder of Kenya Environmental Activists Network, (KEAN)with tagline; Keen towards Environmental Action , a NGO that provides a platform to brings together environmental activists.[4][5] His major center of attention for Africa lies around environmental rejuvenation, afforestation, organic farming and youth leadership across boards.[1][6][7]

Kaluki Paul Mutuku
Born (1993-03-04) March 4, 1993
Kenya
NationalityKenyan
Alma materUniversity of Nairobi
OccupationClimate Activist and Environmental Defender
Known forEnvironmental activism

Biography

Kaluki Paul Mutuku grew up in a rural Kenyan community in a family three brothers and a single mother.[8][9] During his childhood, he felt excited about going to the forest to get firewood, and grazing cattle, and goats.[8] He spent his childhood in Machakos, Ukambani zone in Eastern Kenya, and he developed his love for nature in this region.[9][10] [11] He witnessed water becoming more scarce as he grew up, and the challenges his family faced due to changing climatic conditions led him to activism.[8][12] He is a graduate of Environmental Conservation and Natural Resources Management from the University of Nairobi.[8][13] He has great admiration for the climate activist Wangari Maathai.[10]

Activism and work

Kaluki Paul has continuously called for safe environmental practices and proper youth inclusion in Africa.[6][11] With forest occupying 10% of Kenya in 1963 and only 6% in 2009, Paul has great concern about the decreasing forest resources in Kenya.[14][7] He is of the opinion that people should push for a safe and an environmentally clean world by desisting and campaigning against all practices degrading and polluting the environment.[11] He was a member of an environmental awareness club during his college days, and since 2015, he has also been part of the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change. [12]

Kaluki Paul has previously worked as an environmental education officer at A Rocha Kenya, training students, farmers and communities about organic farming, biodiversity conservation and the SDG goals.[1][13] He has worked as a communications lead at 350.org-Kenya team for the deCOALonize campaign and at AYICC-Kenya under the Education for sustainable Development (ESD) project.[8][11][13] The deCOALonize campaign pushed for use of renewable alternatives rather that fossil fuel.[11] He is also Coordinator-Environmental Advocacy/ Partnerships & Networking lead for Youth Coalition for Environmental Advocacy & Renewable Energy.[15]

Kaluki Paul is currently the regional director for Africa at Youth4Nature, a global initiative calling for youth led nature-based solutions.[1][13] He is also an ambassador for the Global EverGreening Alliance.[10] In September 2018, he was part of a group of activists that signed a letter addressed to Secretary Ryan Keith Zinke opposing the lease of public land to oil and gas drilling in California.[16]

His organization, Green Treasures Farms is using organic farming, biodiversity conservation, tree growing, environmental education and water harvesting to improve sustainable environment and income among rural Kenyan women & youth.[1][8][13][17] In 2016, the Green Treasures Farms initiative nearly died due to unavailability of land. In January 2017, the initiative’s new approach of working with different families with lads brought a turn to the project.[9]

During the COVID-19 pandemic he started using digital tools to engage in educational webinars relating to climate action, and food security.[10]

References
  1. "Kaluki Paul Mutuku". Global Landscapes Forum Events. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  2. "7 Top African Environmental and Climate Activists Fighting for a Sustainable Future". ecowarriorprincess.net. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  3. Rathi, Akshat (2020). United We Are Unstoppable: 60 Inspiring Young People Saving Our World. ISBN 9781529335965.
  4. "Kenya Environmental Activists Network (KEAN) - Kimberly Gutzler". www.globalchildrenscampaign.org. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  5. greenecodemocratcom. "Kaluki Paul Mutuku". Greene County Democrat. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  6. "Kenya has lost nearly half its forests – time for the young to act". The Africa Report.com. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  7. "Kenya Must Move Fast to Reverse Deforestation - SDGs for All". www.sdgsforall.net. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  8. "My Story". Green Treasures Farms. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  9. "#BestofKindnessMatters: Education for Conservation". UNESCO MGIEP. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  10. "Meet Kaluki Paul Mutuku, the Global EverGreening Alliance's new ambassador". Global EverGreening Alliance. 2020-08-24. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  11. "Growing Youth Activism for Environmental Protection in Africa | Inter Press Service". www.ipsnews.net. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  12. "It's not just Greta Thunberg: why are we ignoring the developing world's inspiring activists? | Chika Unigwe". the Guardian. 2019-10-05. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  13. "Kaluki". Youth4Nature. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  14. "Affluent society blamed for speed up in removal of Kenyan forest". New Pittsburgh Courier. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  15. "Meet Our Team". Youth Coalition for Environmental Advocacy & Renewable Energy. 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  16. "Opposition to Leasing California's Public Lands and Mineral Estate for Fracking and Oil and Gas Drilling" (PDF). www.biologicaldiversity.org. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  17. "Kenya has lost nearly half its forests – time for the young to act". The Africa Report.com. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
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