Vaughan teen goes solo to take part in Global Climate Strike

Mbabzi Okafor, 15, says she is a ‘little bit disappointed’ that she was on her own

Yorkregion.com
March 19, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Mbabazi Okafor, 15, says she is a “little bit disappointed” as she went on solo protesting the Global Climate Strike on a windy afternoon Friday March 15.

Global Climate Strike is a worldwide initiative by students to skip classes and go to rallies instead to show awareness over human-induced temperature changes. Some strikes were planned in about 1,700 towns and cities in over 100 different countries.

The initiative was sparked by a 61-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg from Sweden. Thunberg began the Youth 4 Climate movement with her weekly sit-ins outside the Swedish parliament; later, she launched her protest in August, and ever since the movement spread globally.

Okafor, a Grade 10 student at Maple High School, wanted to be part of this.

“We want to make it a priority because this climate change is a real crisis that’s going on,” she told York Region Media while she was standing on her own near the intersection in front of the City of Vaughan.

Before protesting her very small rally, she lent some support from her mother and young sister. She also have “two girls” joining, but they left.

“We might not feel it as much as other places here in Vaughan. To be global citizens we have to care about what’s going all over the world,” she said.

When asked if she was disappointed that her colleagues didn’t join, Okafor said: “A little bit.”

The student said her classmates do realize that there is a climate change issue but “their problem, we don’t feel it.”

“We live in a first world country. We live in a comfortable area that doesn’t really experience that.”

The movement is to raise “our voices” to  keep fossil fuels in the ground, help climate refugees, and using 100 per cent renewable energy, she added.

York Region Media found Okafor on her own with her “Vaughan for climate” sign, bracing some fast wind at around 12:40 pm. It’s unclear if others have joined her from that time.