Young people leading
After completing her bachelor’s degree, Lindy conducted a two-year climate and land rights internship and participated in a project that helped rural rural communities negotiate various challenges related to climate change. These included water shortages to deal with strong winds, thunderstorms and flash floods.
She was also more fully exposed to the issues of land management and environmental policy. “For the first time I have realized the importance of not only rights, but the responsibility of businesses and governments to comply with environmental laws and regulations,” she explains.
During her internship, Lindy was also a member of the adaptation project’s Climate Champions, and was also instrumental in the 2023 Pietermaritzburg hearing of the Climate Change Bill. During the same period, she was involved in protests over hearing Sobantu from an unsafe landfill site, with the support of the SA Human Rights Commission.
“My passion didn’t end when I signed with AFRA,” she says. Lindy is currently studying for the honor of environmental management.
She also volunteers with the South African Youth Climate Change Coalition (SAYCCC) as a Climate Justice Coordinator and Team Leader. The youth-led initiative has links to many other organizations, including the Presidential Climate Committee, where Lindy is a member of the Youth Leader Caucus.
Dangerous
Lindy is a strong believer in the power of team-based work. “When SayCCC invites volunteers to board, I have the opportunity to consider your voice and contributions by working as part of the ‘Yes, please!’ group.
Lindi’s work with SayCCC often focuses on the policy area. She shows an example of recent efforts by SayCCC to hold Ethekwini municipality accountable from an infrastructure standpoint.
“We asked us to let us know how we are adapting to climate change and how young people are informed about it. Our experience is that information is not easily accessible. To be honest, I believe that information is not thoroughly spread across rural areas.
Despite this focus, she emphasizes that there are drawbacks to being fully focused on policy development. “It’s really motivating when I’m sitting in a meeting and everyone is inputting, typing, typing, but implementation is stopped.”
Environmental activities can be dangerous. This applies to South Africa, as in many other countries.
the purpose
“We’re warned that you’re not too vocal, you’re too unactive because when you’re on the ground, you’re killed,” Lindy says, recalling the brutal 2020 murders of Fikile Nshangause and other suspicious deaths of environmental activists.
Despite these intense challenges, Lindy believes that the balance between policy and behaviorism can have impressive results. “My dream is to see a physically living policy,” she says.
“We are excited about the efforts to implement Green City Policy in areas from Hillcrest to Catoridge, for example. Another example is innovative practices of building using rocks within local environments.
Lindy attributes her strong positivity towards faith. “I start a project or meeting in prayer. I pray for identification to know if something or someone is right for me. I pray for understanding and well received.
“Even if only one or two people receive my message, they form a team to carry out this job. When I think about it, I always say I am blessed. I know I live my purpose.
This author
Dr. Joan Bloch is a writer and artist living in Cape Town, South Africa.
