Romaine Sawadogo, a young Burkinabè woman, has participated in the Gnambélé Bootcamp 2026, a pan-African youth climate camp held in Côte d'Ivoire from September 13 to 19. The bootcamp brought together around 1,000 young people from 13 African countries for a week of intensive exchanges, training, field actions, and collective construction of solutions. The event was organized with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and various technical and financial partners.
The bootcamp was structured around several axes, including an official ceremony, inspirational keynotes, team formation around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate, biodiversity, desertification, and digitalization workshops, a Village of Knowledge and Solutions, hackathons, and an artistic contest. The program aimed to promote citizen action and innovation, with a focus on values such as respect, punctuality, discipline, kindness, and tolerance. Participants were encouraged to mingle and create new relationships, with the goal of leaving with at least 100 new contacts.
For Romaine Sawadogo, participating in the bootcamp was a natural progression of her engagement in environmental communication and citizen action. As a journalist, communicator, and youth network activist, she has been involved in various initiatives, including working as the communication officer for the Burkinabè National Parliament for Water (PNJBE) and being part of the West African Network of Journalists for Environment and Press (ROAJPE-WAYPNW). Her experiences have allowed her to connect information, citizen mobilization, and environmental issues.
During the bootcamp, Romaine participated in workshops on climate, desertification, biodiversity, and digitalization. The Village of Knowledge and Solutions, which featured 15 laboratories and five 30-minute rotations, offered participants the opportunity to discover concrete initiatives, exchange with professionals, and explore opportunities related to environmental jobs and solutions. The cultural dimension was also central, with intercultural evenings where each delegation showcased its identity and traditions.
The bootcamp not only focused on learning but also put young people in a situation of action. On September 17, participants were mobilized for a citizen action day, which included planting mangroves, cleaning the beach, and a dialogue with the Minister of Environment and the Mayor of Grand-Bassam. These concrete actions embodied the desire to move "from words to action." The event also provided a platform for participants to network and build lasting engagements.
The bootcamp's closing ceremony, held on September 18, featured an African Youth Assembly, where a declaration was read, prizes were awarded, and the Alumni Network was launched. To receive the official certificate of participation, participants had to be present throughout the event and respond to all evaluation forms. Romaine's participation in the bootcamp has enabled her to strengthen her knowledge, share her Burkinabè experience with other young Africans, and return home with new ideas, contacts, and tools to contribute to climate, biodiversity, and natural resource management initiatives.
Through this experience, Romaine's conviction has been reinforced that African youth should not only be recipients of environmental policies but also participate in their design, implementation, and changing behaviors in communities. Her journey illustrates the transition from storytelling to concrete engagement, serving a more resilient Africa and a youth that refuses to be a spectator of its future.
Key points
- Romaine Sawadogo, a young Burkinabè woman, participated in the Gnambélé Bootcamp 2026, a pan-African youth climate camp in Côte d'Ivoire, to engage in environmental communication and citizen action.
- The bootcamp brought together 1,000 young people from 13 African countries for a week of intensive exchanges, training, and field actions.
- The event aimed to promote citizen action and innovation, with a focus on values such as respect, punctuality, discipline, kindness, and tolerance.
