Faith Phiri, a 21-year-old final-year physiotherapy student at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), is on a mission to empower Malawian communities to take action on environmental challenges. When floods and other climate-related disasters strike, Faith sees more than destruction - she sees a warning about the future. Her concern has driven her to found Sustain Africa Youth Wave (SAYW), an initiative that works with children, young people, women, and farmers on issues linking climate change, environmental protection, health, and sustainable livelihoods.
Faith's interest in the environment stems from her understanding of health as a broader concept that encompasses not only medical care but also the surroundings and conditions that affect people's wellbeing. She believes that a community's health is influenced by factors such as the environment, food production, livelihoods, education opportunities, and ability to cope with challenges. Through SAYW, Faith mobilizes resources by having members contribute to proposed activities, and she sometimes uses her own money to fund initiatives, although this has been a challenge due to limited resources.
Faith's journey into community action began with the conviction that young people should not wait for opportunities to contribute to development. She established SAYW to build healthier, more sustainable, and climate-resilient communities by bringing together areas such as health, education, climate action, youth and women empowerment, innovation, sustainable livelihoods, and community development. Faith believes that development is not about addressing one problem at a time, but rather about tackling multiple interconnected issues simultaneously.
One of Faith's major areas of focus is environmental awareness among children and young people. Through SAYW, she has encouraged young people to participate in protecting the environment through activities such as tree planting. The initiative's Plant and Own a Tree campaign has planted 1,200 trees, and Faith wants young people to understand that environmental protection is not only the responsibility of government institutions or organizations, but also of communities themselves.
Faith's work has also extended into agriculture, where she has engaged farmers and agricultural stakeholders on climate-smart agriculture, climate adaptation, food security, and sustainable livelihoods. The initiative has explored ways for farmers to respond to changing climate conditions while improving their economic opportunities. With farming remaining central to survival in many Malawian communities, Faith believes that communities need knowledge and innovation to adapt to unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, and dry spells.
Environmental activist Mathews Malata has praised Faith's efforts, saying that there is a need for more young people to take an active role in addressing environmental challenges facing Malawi. Malata believes that young people have the energy, creativity, and ability to influence positive change in their communities if they are given the necessary support and platforms. He noted that initiatives such as Sustain Africa Youth Wave demonstrate the potential for young people to make a difference.
Faith's leadership journey has developed alongside her academic journey, with experiences in student leadership and community activities at KUHeS shaping her understanding of leadership. She believes that leadership is about service, listening, identifying problems, bringing people together, and helping to create a path towards a solution. Despite the challenges facing Malawi, Faith remains optimistic about the country's potential to build a future where communities are better prepared for climate challenges.
Key points
- Faith Phiri's initiative, Sustain Africa Youth Wave, aims to empower Malawian communities to take action on environmental challenges.
- Faith believes that environmental protection is not only the responsibility of government institutions or organizations, but also of communities themselves.
- The initiative has planted 1,200 trees through its Plant and Own a Tree campaign, promoting environmental awareness among children and young people.
