Every year, Uganda commemorates the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11th. As part of this celebration, Kaleke Kasome and its partners organize the National Girl Championship Awards. A ceremony took place on October 10th every year in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Labor, and Social Development, and the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Secretariat within the Office of the Prime Minister, to honor girls who have made a significant impact in society and our nation.
Among the nominees for this years’ prestigious “Earth Girl Award” was our own Laudato Clubs’ President Sarah Kirikuwino, who was also invited to participate in training that focused on life skills, communication, personal branding, and volunteering the modern-day skills to empower the girl child.
Sarah’s nomination for the Girl Champion Awards 2024 highlights her dedication to environmental advocacy and inspiring climate action with many activities but the one Million Tree planting drive that saw her kick start the campaign in Bugiri and now celebrates to have inspired the planting of over 10,000 trees in a couple of months, held several youth conferences, media interviews and documentaries among others.
The Girl Earth Award is designed to recognize young individuals like her who demonstrate exceptional commitment to environmental stewardship and inspire climate action, ultimately creating meaningful change within their communities is a value addition and inspiration to participate and receive national recognition.
As a young advocate, Sarah has made remarkable contributions to our country through her mentorship initiatives aimed at promoting climate action and fostering a climate-resilient generation via our Laudato Si Clubs across various institutions, churches and Organizations in Uganda and beyond.
When approached for a comment the Laudato Youth mentor remarked on Sarah’s impact, stating, “Sarah is truly living her passion, and dream to create an impact in society. She has worked tirelessly to bring young people together nationwide for climate action.” Her impact is in every part of Uganda from East to West, North and South. So, this recognition of her efforts comes at an opportune moment, encouraging more youth to serve our nation with dedication and love, understanding that we are all stewards of our home.
Sarah’s achievement serves as a testament and inspiration to many young individuals, proving that they can effect change in society, regardless of age, through their commitment.
It is crucial to tackle pressing issues such as climate change, which is intertwined with challenges like mental health, school dropout rates, hunger, and poverty. Taking steps to address these problems means nurturing our beloved Motherland, Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
We celebrate Sarah’s accomplishments and look forward to continuing our journey alongside her to build a climate-resilient future, enhance the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the Catholic Social Teachings, and uphold the principles of Laudato Si to positively impact our country and the future of our youth. Congratulations Sarah our Laudato Clubs’ President!
Laudato Youth Media