Interviews and Special Feature with Varnessa Kayen Varlyngton – Egalitarianism for Earth (Children4Climate).
- As the youngest fellow, you’ve inspired many. Who inspires you, and how do you handle the pressure of being a role model so early?
As the youngest fellow, I’ve been fortunate to have many inspirations. I draw inspiration from various individuals across different sectors, but in terms of advocacy and leadership, I’m particularly inspired by Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate, Malala Yousafzi , and Varaidzo Kativhu . These four activists motivate me to take action, use my voice to raise awareness, and make a difference.
I’m also deeply inspired by historical icons like Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Reading about the journeys of these advocates has helped me realize my own potential and empowered me to inspire others to take climate action and use their skills to solve societal problems.
Being a role model can be overwhelming, with pressure to meet expectations and live up to people’s perceptions. However, I’ve learned to stay true to myself, remember my cause, and focus on the impact I want to make. It’s not about titles, awards, or impressing others; it’s about remembering the original aim: creating a better world for future generations.
- What’s one thing you’ve learned from a child that changed how you approach your advocacy?
One thing I’ve learned from a child that changed how I approach advocacy is that kids thrive when they’re doing something they love. If I want to engage them in the climate movement, I need to personalise my approach. For instance, if a child loves art, I can teach them how art contributes to climate advocacy. If they’re interested in business, I can explore green entrepreneurship together. Climate advocacy for kids shouldn’t feel like a formal, daunting task. Instead, it should be a fun, creative outlet that teaches children to use their talents for the betterment of society, not conforming them to a particular method of change.
- Since the Civic Tech Fellowship closed out, what are you most proud of achieving with your solution?
Since the Civic Tech Fellowship closed out, I’m most proud of launching the Stories Incubator Lab, the first of its kind, stimulating climate learning environment powered by animations, championing a new dawn for climate edutainment in the region. This was done through the support of the African Climate Stories Grant and the research I conducted during my time as a fellow, ‘Exploring the psychological impact of animations on climate engagement and behavioural change.’ This innovative project brought pupils together, engaging them in discussions, linking animations to real-world climate scenarios, building projects, and hosting roundtable discussions, showcasing how powerful stories could birth ideas in young minds. Notably, I got the opportunity to talk about creative climate communications with the acronym CHILDREN, including animations as one way of involving children, during my TEDxPh Talk for the Global TED Countdown event on the theme “The Next Now”.
- Looking ahead, what does the next chapter look like for your initiative?
Looking ahead, my next chapter for my initiative involves a lot of young engagement, as usual, but this time from a more civic-inclined perspective, through the Green Governance and Peace Project, to drive systemic changes in the Niger Delta with young voices. As said earlier in my Civic Tech video for the fellowship, I mentioned exploring areas of green governance and climate financing, and with this, I hope to get involved in policies as well as legal systems that drive green or circular economies.
Quick Fire Round:
Quick firerounds. Are you ready?
Yes. Go for it
Animation Studio or Classroom?
Definitely Animation Studio, because it’s more of a space for me to bring my imagination to life and allow me to work on stories that evoke emotions in others and inspire change, going beyond a board, marker and a whole lot of facts, data or statistics.
Writing a Storyboard or Leading a Protest?
That would be writing a storyboard because I know protest can be a way of pushing government or leaders, but in terms of behavioural and mindset change, I think storyboards play a major role.
DreamCollab?
Disney has always been my dream collab. Growing up, I watched a lot of Disney movies and felt inspired to create my own cartoons and characters. It was mainly because of Disney I had a flair for 3D animations. I admire their stories, their content and their style of trying to use their cartoons to make our childhood memorable and how they portray our world filled with lots of love.