By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Rahmina Paulette, 15, a Kenyan climate change activist has booked a spot at this year’s COP26 summit following her various interventions to rally the country and world leaders to mitigate against climate change.
The teen environment champion is among the Kenyan delegation led by President Uhuru Kenyatta expected to participate at the high profile United Nations (UN) event slated for 31st October 2021 to 12th November 2021 at Glasgow, United Kingdom.
15-year-old Rahmina Paulette displays some of the products she makes from the water hyacinth and waste paper at their home in Gudka estate, Kisumu. Photo by Chris Mahandara.
Born and raised in Kisumu, Rahmina spent her early years playing on the beaches of Lake Victoria and witnessed firsthand as pollution and the invasive water hyacinth weed choked the once vibrant water body.
“It bothered me to see the weed block fishermen and leisure boat riders affecting so many people who depended on the activities to earn a living,” she says.
This pushed her to come up with innovative ways of getting rid of the weed in an environmentally friendly way to allow the lake to breathe again.
Through support from her mother Miriam Oyugi, Rahmina embarked on removal of the hyacinth from the lake to make eco-friendly products which has earned her international recognition.
From the water hyacinth, she makes furniture, paper, cards, folders, document holders, carrying bags, carton boxes among other products.
She targets bookshops and institutions to use eco-friendly papers rather than manila paper to help conserve the environment.
When she is not in school or organizing climate change protests, the grade 11 student at Kisumu Senior Academy also helps to remove plastic waste from Lake Victoria, kenyanews reports.