Accelerating Youth Climate Activism with 776

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Sep 18

This episode of My Climate Journey features three guests: Lissie Garvin, Ayakha Melithafa, and Dysmus Kisilu, and we are diving into youth empowerment around climate.

The IPCCs AR6 synthesis report from earlier this year includes a heartbreaking graphic that shows the extent to which current and future generations will experience a hotter and different world. It should come as no surprise that younger generations today will face a world that changes more dramatically than any generation has previously experienced. And yet, according to Lissie, less than 1% of all money going into climate change is going to youth movements.

Lissie Garvin serves as the Foundation and Fellowship Program Director at 776, an organization founded by Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder and former CEO of Reddit. The overarching mission of the 776 Foundation is to fight inequity worldwide starting with a youth climate fellowship program, which recognizes and supports outstanding individuals under the age of 23 who are actively engaged in pioneering solutions to address climate change. Recipients of this program receive $100,000 grants to further their innovative efforts in tackling climate-related challenges.

Ayakha Melithafa, a 21-year-old Pan-African climate justice activist, has represented youth voices from the Global South on prominent global platforms, including the World Economic Forum and COP26. She holds the distinction of being the youngest commissioner on the South African Presidential Climate Commission.

Dysmus Kisilu, 24, is the founder of Solar Freeze, a company specializing in solar-powered cold storage units for smallholder farmers in Kenya, significantly boosting agricultural productivity. He also founded "Each One, Teach One," an initiative within Solar Freeze that mentors young agricultural leaders in Africa in renewable energy solutions, benefiting over 100 young people.

Ayakha and Dysmus are among the first 20 recipients of 776 Fellowships. Together with Lissie, we explore the program's purpose, operations, and its impact. We also hear from Ayakha and Dysmus about their stories and the work they're doing to affect change.

Get connected:
Ayakha Melithafa X
Dysmus Kisilu X / LinkedIn
Lissie Garvin X / LinkedIn
Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
MCJ Podcast / Collective / Instagram

*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

Episode recorded on Aug 7, 2023 (Published on Sep 18, 2023)

In this episode, we cover:

[08:36]: Overview of the 776 Fellowship
[10:42]: Youth activism's big impact
[15:00]: How 776 funding allowed Ayakha to maintain her authentic voice
[17:52]: How speaking up led Ayakha to the South African Presidential Climate Commission
[22:10]: Ayakha's personal experiences during the "Day Zero" water crisis in 2017 that ignited her climate activism
[29:07]: Her reflections on becoming an activist
[33:38]: Her vision for South Africa to be a global leader in the energy transition
[37:33]: Dysmus' experience with Ag Tech at UC Davis and origins of Solar Freeze
[40:01]: Recent historic drought in Kenya
[41:18]: Overview of Solar Freeze's solution and services
[45:09]: The company's rapid growth and work with Kenyan farmers
[47:35]: Dysmus' Each One, Teach One program
[50:21]: How Dysmus and Ayakha learned about the 776 Fellowship
[52:01]: Lissie's reflections on selecting the first 776 cohort
[54:18]: Ayakha's experiences in the program and highlights from other 776 fellows
[59:50]: Ayakha's advice for other young people in the climate space
[01:03:06]: How people in the Global North can support youth in Africa working at the forefront of the climate crisis

Cody Simms (00:00:00):
Today on My Climate Journey, we have three guests, Lissie Garvin, Ayakha Melithafa, and Dysmus Kisilu, and we are diving into youth empowerment around climate. The IPCCs AR6 synthesis report from earlier this year has a heartbreaking graphic that shows the extent to which current and future generations will experience a hotter and different world. And it should come as no surprise that younger generations today will, over the course of their lifetimes, face a world that warms more dramatically and thus changes dramatically more than any generation has previously experienced. And yet, according to Lissie, less than 1% of all money going into climate change is going to youth movements.
(00:00:54):
Lissie Garvin is the foundation and fellowship program director at 776. 776 is an early-stage venture fund created by Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder and former CEO of Reddit. And the 776 Fellowship that Lissie runs provides $100,000 grants to select individuals under the age of 23 years old who are working on brilliance and creative methods to address climate change. Ayakha Melithafa is 21 years old and is a Pan-African climate justice activist. Her activism has seen her represent youth voices from the Global South on various national and international platforms, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and COP26 in Scotland as part of the South African delegation.
(00:01:48):
She's the youngest commissioner on the South African Presidential Climate Commission, a multi-stakeholder body established by the President of the Republic of South Africa to advise on the country's climate change response and pathways to a low carbon climate resilient economy and society. Dysmus Kisilu is 24 years old and is the founder of Solar Freeze, a company that specializes in providing solar-powered cold storage units to smallholder farmers in Kenya to increase agricultural productivity. To date, Dysmus has worked with more than 3000 smallholder farmers in Kenya to increase agricultural yields by over 150%.
(00:02:30):
Dysmus is also the founder of Each One, Teach One-Train and Earn, an initiative within Solar Freeze that aims to promote renewable energy solutions to young agricultural leaders in Africa by providing mentoring in operation, maintenance, and repair of these solutions. The program has already enabled 100 young people to learn and earn an income. Ayakha and Dysmus are two of the first 20 individuals to have received 776 Fellowships. Together with Lissie, we talk about the program, why it exists, and how it operates. And then, we get to hear from Ayakha and Dysmus about their stories and the work they're doing to affect change. But before we start, I'm Cody Simms.
Yin Lu (00:03:15):
I'm Yin Lu.
Jason Jacobs (00:03:18):
And I'm Jason Jacobs. And welcome to My Climate Journey.
Yin Lu (00:03:24):
This show is a growing body of knowledge focused on climate change and potential solutions.
Cody Simms (00:03:29):
In this podcast, we traverse disciplines, industries, and opinions to better understand and make sense of the formidable problem of climate change and all the ways people like you and I can help. Lissie, Ayakha, Dysmus, welcome to the show. We got a full house.
Lissie Garvin (00:03:47):
Ooh, yes. Thank you for having us.
Cody Simms (00:03:50):
Well, I'm excited for this one because, A, we have three guests, so this is going to be hopefully a robust conversation. But B, wow, what a special set of guests because you all are doing something really unique here in that you're helping younger people to go all in on working on climate.
(00:04:09):
The work you're doing at 776 Foundation, Lissie, and then Ayakha and Dysmus. You all are out there doing the stuff. And so with that, why don't each of you take a minute just to say hi, introduce yourself so everyone can hear your voice and know who's speaking when and let us know what you're each working on? Maybe I'll start with Ayakha.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:04:28):
Hi everyone. Thank you again, Cody, for having us on your podcast. My name is Ayakha Melithafa. My passion is climate activism, but I also work for the Presidential Climate Commission here in South Africa, which is an advisory body to our president and Cabinet on waste in which they can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and go to more green and renewable energy for power. Other than that, I am running my own project called the Batho Pele Climate Justice Project.
(00:04:59):
Batho Pele meaning People First. It's a statement of history here in South Africa, and basically what we do is my team and I go around South Africa in different provinces to educate young people in schools about climate change, but not only the doom and gloom of climate change but the opportunities it presents as well. Hopefully, giving them a head start that we needed at their age and we did not get. So that's what I'm up to.
Cody Simms (00:05:25):
Well, Ayakha, thanks for that introduction and maybe just two bits of info for us. A, where in the world are you right now, and B, where do you live? And I guess a third bit of info. C is if you don't mind sharing how old you are.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:05:38):
No problem. I am in South Africa, and I live in Cape Town, South Africa. And I am turning 21 this month, actually.
Cody Simms (00:05:48):
Wow. Congratulations and happy birthday to be.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:05:52):
Thank you.
Cody Simms (00:05:54):
Dysmus, how about you? Give us a quick intro.
Dysmus Kisilu (00:05:56):
Hi everyone. My name is Dysmus Kisilu. It's a pleasure to be here, Cody. So amazing platform, and what you're doing is amazing with My Climate Journey. So I'm based in Kenya right now, and I run an organization called Solar Freeze. So what Solar Freeze does is work with rural small-scale farmers. So most of them have one acre of land or less, and they're mostly producing fresh produce like fruits, vegetables that go to waste. So in Africa, a lot of small-scale farmers don't have access to preservation and cooling technologies such as refrigerators and cold storage facilities. So what Solar Freeze does is we came up with like an Airbnb for small-scale farmers.
(00:06:36):
So, we innovated around a technology called evaporative cooling, which uses water. And this water is cooled by fans, so it's much more cheaper and more environmentally friendly than mechanical cooling that uses AC and CFC gases. And also, farmers don't get to pay per use basis. So if you have a crate of produce, you just pay on a daily basis, and that, in essence, reduces post-harvest loss. And we also connect them to better markets for their produce, such as schools, institutions, and healthcare facilities that will buy their produce at a better price, therefore reducing post-harvest loss and increasing income for the marginalized small-scale farmers. It's a pleasure to be here.
Cody Simms (00:07:16):
Dysmus, thank you so much. And we're going to dive into both your business as well as the work that Ayakha is doing on the activism side. And maybe quickly for you again, so you're in Kenya, you mentioned. Are you in Nairobi today?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:07:30):
Yes, I'm in Nairobi today.
Cody Simms (00:07:32):
In Nairobi. And how old are you?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:07:33):
22 years old.
Cody Simms (00:07:35):
22, fantastic. All right, we're going to come back to both of you for sure. Lissie, let's start with an intro on your end.
Lissie Garvin (00:07:41):
Hi everyone. Just to echo Ayakha and Dysmus, thank you so much, Cody, for having us. I love every and any chance that I get to talk about the Climate Fellowship Program, so this especially is exciting for me. I am Lissie Garvin. I am the director of the 776 Foundation and Fellowship Program, and for those of you who don't know what the foundation is, it's Alexis Ohanian. He's the founder of Reddit.
(00:08:09):
It is his foundation, and we are about a year old, and our first initiative is this Climate Fellowship Program that Alexis committed $20 million to over the next 10 years. And we have amazing fellows, which you'll get to learn more about what Ayakha and Dysmus are building, but we have 40 fellows in this program right now, just in 13 quick months.
Cody Simms (00:08:36):
Fantastic. We'll start with maybe a little bit from you, Lissie, just to learn more about the fellowship and then dive into a few of the fellows here with the Ayakha and Dysmus. On the side of the fellowship, you've just started, I believe, now your second cohort. Is that correct?
Lissie Garvin (00:08:49):
Exactly. There's nothing else out there like this right now. And when Alexis and I started it, we kind of started it as an experiment to see if there was a need for it and if we would even have people apply, and we were blown away by the response. It is something that I hear over and over again that it doesn't exist. There's not a program that's giving 18 to 24-year-olds $100,000 to just go build in the climate space. And I think the big thing is that this is just grant money, so we're not taking any ownership in any of these companies or nonprofits. It is just $100,000. Take this money, go build because, truthfully, if we don't have young people building in this space a hundred years from now, literally nothing else is going to matter unless we solve the climate crisis.
(00:09:43):
And so yeah, we just kicked off our second cohort. The fellows are with us for two years, so Ayakha and Dysmus are in our first cohort, so they still have another year with us, but I'm very excited with our 40 fellows. The big thing to point out is that we have fellows working in climate tech or nonprofits, or they're in the lab working on research. And so I think that what we've learned in this last year is how important it is for all of those different sectors to be together in one program and to learn from one another, and it's been very special.
Cody Simms (00:10:21):
Between Ayakha and Dysmus, here we have two fellows who are working on very different aspects of the climate change problem. From youth activism and speaking truth to power, I guess, Ayakha is how I would maybe describe some of what you do and Dysmus out there actually building technology that's scaling solutions to problems locally for you.
(00:10:42):
Lissie, for the foundation itself, I read a stat somewhere. I don't remember if it came from you or somewhere else as I was getting ready for this conversation. It was said that less than 1% of all money going into climate change solutions are going into youth movements. Explain more about how you came upon that and how you decided this for you and Alexis was the way to contribute.
Lissie Garvin (00:11:05):
I see Ayakha shaking her head. She knows very well. It's actually 0.76%, so it's even smaller than 1%. But the irony to me and what I have felt over the last year is that the youth they're absolutely leading this movement. They're the ones that we see protesting. We see them trying to do walkouts at school and to really get the government to listen, but they're also not being funded.
(00:11:33):
So it's like we're relying on them to do these movements and to push the agenda, but we're not actually supporting them. And so this was something Alexis and I were talking about. We're like, "We need to support young people because the reality is we don't want them to be in university and then take on student loan debt and then going to take a job to pay off the student loan debt when they could have a really great idea now at 18 years old, at 19 years old."
(00:12:03):
We really can't wait for those ideas either. That was A, why we picked the age range of 18 to 24. And then the 100,000, we were like, "That's a lot of money to go build." The 0.76% it's wild to me. And hopefully, as more and more awareness hopefully, more dollars come in, and we're seeing a lot more fellowships come forward that are just climate-focused. So I do think that that will change in the next few years, but it needs to change quickly.
Cody Simms (00:12:33):
I think it's unique that you all are doing a combination of technology and nonprofit work. Many would argue probably, including myself, that a lot of what needs to happen is technological change and shifting from legacy ways of doing things that have built today's economy for the last 100 years. And then a big part of what needs to happen is moving the political will to actually speed up the adoption of these new technologies.
(00:13:00):
And to me, that's the movement-building side of things that is often underfunded in today's landscape. How have you seen so far capital in particular, especially with $100,000 being utilized by different fellows who have very different capital requirements and capital needs? If you're building a tech company, your capital needs may be different than if you're building a nonprofit or political movement or not. I don't know. Curious what you all are finding.
Lissie Garvin (00:13:28):
I think the other big thing to know, especially Ayakha and Dysmus, who are here with us, they're based in Africa, and the fellowship is international and so $100,000 in California is very different than $100,000 in Africa. That alone is also something that we've been watching. But on the climate tech versus nonprofit side, the reality is both of those require fundraising. You have to fundraise if you're going to have a nonprofit. You have to fundraise if you want to have a climate tech company. And so what we're trying to do is give these young people grant money so that they don't have to give up ownership so that they don't have to spend all of their early days fundraising to try to get dollars in so that they can go build.
(00:14:10):
That's definitely been the most important part. And we have in our first cohort, I would say, about 12 to 14 of the fellows are starting climate tech companies, and I think already half of them have raised their seed rounds, which is amazing to see. And it's great that early on, they didn't have to give up ownership, especially because we have everything from a fellow working on nuclear waste management and revolutionizing that to a fellow building automated robotic labs to fix biology to make it better, cheaper, faster. And so being able to just have grant dollars and not take ownership, I think, that has been the most appealing thing to the fellows specifically.
Cody Simms (00:14:57):
Super helpful. And Ayakha, Dysmus, feel free to jump in. How has the capital thus far been accelerant for each of your efforts?
Ayakha Melithafa (00:15:06):
For me personally, it's shown me quite a different side of politics because when I was first coming into this political space, climate justice movement, there were a lot of organizations that wanted me to work with them, therefore making me change my own identity so that it can fit the agenda that they're pushing. When you go into an organization, and have to let go of some of the values that you treasure to make sure that what the organization is pushing for is what is getting achieved.
(00:15:33):
So having these funds from 776 has made me be able to stick to what I know and what I believe in and not let anyone change my narrative. So in that way, it's given me a lot of leverage and power in discussions and topics and conversations that have to be about climate change and the experience of a Black child in South Africa that gets affected by climate change every single day, to say that, "This is what I stand for. It might not be convenient. It might not be politically accurate or politically correct, but it's what I've experienced, and it's what I'm standing for."
(00:16:07):
And that way, it's been allowing me to be able to go out there and actually find people that are like-minded that believe in my vision, and I'm currently trying my best to raise more funds so that even after the grant has passed, we still able to go forth and do the work that we really believe in. And my unique space, the unique place I work in, is because I'm a grassroots activist. I love being on the ground working with young people. My mom is a farmer. I'm very active on the ground, but because I'm with the Presidential Climate Commission in South Africa, I also have access to policy and influence on the inside of government. So this makes me become very flexible and actually relaying what people on the ground want in political spaces.
(00:16:50):
And actually also being able to explain complex terms and what the government's restrictions or limitations are to the activists that are on the ground so that we kind of avoid that in between miscommunication, people protesting, and the government not bending, if I can put it that way, to the people on the ground suggestions. The money has, more than anything else, it has empowered me to go out there and be bold and be myself and be able to know that I have funding that's backing me, and I know that my narrative won't be changed because I'm looking for my next penny basically to go forth and continue my activism.
Cody Simms (00:17:26):
Ayakha, that role of being a liaison in between the government and other youth and students is obviously an incredibly powerful place to be in terms of, like you said, helping steward change, making sure that the things that people are asking for aren't so far removed from being possible that it just becomes a futile protest.
(00:17:47):
But also ensuring that you are continuing to push and make the right asks. Maybe recount for all of us how you came to be on the Commission in the first place. If I read correctly, it was you stood up to the president in some meeting somewhere somehow and got invited on. Is that accurate?
Ayakha Melithafa (00:18:06):
Yes, it is. And it was such a crazy day because I was in the 12th grade, literally in the middle of school. My mom comes, and then she comes to pick me up. We didn't even ask permission from my teachers. She literally just went to the reception, called me, and then we left. And I was like, "What's going on? What are we doing?" And they were like, "We got invited to the Youth State of the Nation Address. So in South Africa every year, there's the State of the Nation Address, and before that day, there's a Youth State of the Nation Address where the president comes to basically hear young people's grievances. What our opinions on the countries are. And also what he can do basically to make sure that we are heard when it comes to political issues, if I can put it that way. So it was a last minute invite.
(00:18:53):
We got invited. We got there. It was so hectic. When we entered the room, the president was just about to go on stage. So he was speaking about how he wanted to address the unemployment crisis in South Africa because we're among the countries with the highest unemployment rates and one of the most unequal countries in the world. So there's a lot of young people out there with degrees, masters, and they can't find work at all. And that's something on the top of our minds as young people is that we go to school, we go to university, for what exactly, if we are not going to find any work. So the president was speaking on that and addressing that. And then he opened a round of questions. I lifted my hand the first time. They couldn't see me. My mom was right next to me. She was like, "No, it's okay. It's okay. It's okay."
(00:19:38):
But I was like, "I need him to see me. I have something to say and I need him to see me." So when the second round of questions came about, I stood up and I waved my hand like crazy until he noticed me. And then he pointed to me and that's, basically, where I raised the biggest ecological crisis of our time, which is the climate crisis when I spoke about how it affected me and my family. When I also highlighted how it was currently affecting us in South Africa. It's not something that we are hearing about. It's not something we are seeing in other countries. It's something that's actually happening to us, and because of so little information out there about the climate crisis when it comes to South Africa or Africa as a region, we often get left behind and try to be maybe spiritual and say, "It's God punishing us or something."
(00:20:24):
After I raised my hand and I really raised strongly my concerns on the climate crisis and how he should be addressing it and our unique opportunity as South Africa to be driving the African continent towards sustainability and renewable energy because of our nature advantages if I can put it that way. He really sat down and he started taking notes, and was quite impressed with my statement. I knew it was a risk speaking so boldly on a political platform, and I'm just happy they did not kick me out of the place. But the president took it quite well, and he took it quite seriously. And then he promised that he would make sure that no African child is left behind in this transition that the world is seeming to take towards renewable energy, green energy, just living more sustainably. And that's when he said that he would put me on the Presidential Climate Commission, and that's basically how it happened. I did not hear from him for about a year, and then it finally happened.
Cody Simms (00:21:22):
Oh wow.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:21:22):
Yeah, so I was like, "Ugh, obviously he was lying. It's not going to happen, guys." But then he finally did pull through, and that's how I became one of two youth commissioners for the whole of South Africa, representing young people when it comes to our needs when it comes to the just transition to towards renewable energy.
Cody Simms (00:21:42):
I can't even imagine how nervous you must have felt when you first put your hands up and started waving them. I don't know. Maybe not. But boy, I would've been.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:21:50):
Definitely growing up in a household with four other siblings, it's incredibly loud, and you have to speak up. Otherwise, if you don't, no one hears you. So I had that confidence in me, and I was like, "What's the worst that could happen? I'm not going to get arrested. I'm a minor, so it's fine." And I just did it basically without even thinking twice.
Cody Simms (00:22:10):
You mentioned growing up. I read online that it sounds like you first started really leaning into understanding what's going on with climate change and starting to look to lead around the issue during the water rationing of 2017 in South Africa. Can you walk us through a little bit about what that was and what it was like and what you decided to take away from it?
Ayakha Melithafa (00:22:34):
In 2017 there was something called the Day Zero crisis here in the Western Cape where the rain was few, so it caused a drought, and our dam levels were getting extremely low. So I was living in the city, at that time because my mom was at the farm so that we can get education and stuff. It's very common in Africa where you go live in the city and your mom remains in the farms. When I was in the city, I didn't really see much of a difference. I just remember the water being cut off at some point. I remember some kids not coming to school because they had body rashes, and they were reacting terribly to it, but personally I didn't feel like I was really that affected.
(00:23:13):
But then, when the school holidays came and then every school holidays, me and my siblings, we go back to the farm to help mom. That's when the reality struck us because when mom would call us on the phone, she'd say, "No, everything is fine. Everything is okay. I'm doing well. Just focus on school. You're going to come on the holidays. Everything is fine." But when we actually came on the holidays, it was quite the horrific scene. Fields of green crops that I used to know and run through were so dry and brown and brittle, and livestock in our family farm was completely thin. Others already dead. When we were losing cattle like it was no one's business and that it was a big economic shock for us because one cow cost a lot of money.
(00:23:57):
Instead of not being able to sell that, just seeing a die in front of your eyes was very catastrophic. It took me back, and I couldn't get that scene out of my head when I asked my mom questions, but she's always so positive. She was like, "No, it's okay. Don't worry. It was just the rain is not coming, but it's going to come. We're going to be fine." But I was extremely angry if I can be honest with you, especially because we could see our neighbors. They were commercial farmers, and they were able to get trucks to drill boreholes in the area. So they were able to tap into underground water and still continue like everything is okay while we were suffering in the community.
(00:24:34):
So that really struck me in a way that even when I was able to go back to school, I couldn't just be normal or act like everything is okay. I knew, fundamentally, that something was wrong, and I needed to get to the bottom of it. And that's how I went to learn about climate change on the internet and the library. I couldn't ask my teachers a lot because they gave me very vague answers to what was causing the drought or just global warming. And I'm like, "What does that mean, though, for me?" For me, it was such a foreign concept that doesn't happen to us. But when I really found out about the climate crisis, it was so bad, honestly. There's a period of time where I was actually climate anxious and climate depressed, wondering, "Why should I try? Why should I bother? If the world is going to end anyways, why should I put in the effort?"
(00:25:20):
But thankfully, there was a school environmental program that I saw, and that's when I decided to start to join it because I wanted to know what is this climate change thing. How is it going to affect my family? How can I make a difference in the small pool that I have? And basically that's when my activism really started, and it pushed off because I was so active in the group. I wanted to know everything. I was raising my hands. I had questions. And that's when I really started sharing my story and actually educating other people about climate change and how it affected me and getting them to share their stories and actually link them to climate change because people often distanced it from climate change and not knowing how to put the word to what they were experiencing, and that's how my activism just grew and grew and grew from there.
Cody Simms (00:26:08):
One thing I had a big takeaway when listening to some of what you've said and some of your talks you've given is when it comes to drought, you just talked about issues with the crops and issues with the livestock, which I think all of us can probably pretty easily understand.
(00:26:25):
But some of what... the second order effects that maybe I didn't even consider around if you need water, you're going to have to drink water from somewhere and that water might be polluted, an increase in the amount of pollution and increase the amount of illness, which is the sort of second-order effect from drought.
(00:26:42):
If there's anything you want to share about that or any experiences you had there just to help people further understand how bad this can be, not to move into the bad side, we're going to spend time on the action side and how you're moving things forward, but I think the context is really helpful.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:26:58):
Yeah, I mean, water is such a crucial thing in life, and we take advantage of it because it's all around us. But when you put in a position where, for example, in the townships close to where I stay, they've got such harsh restrictions, about 50 liters of water for one household that has more than eight people inside of it. So it got extremely tough. And you know kids don't know anything about water. They drink water. king the water, and then he got severe diarrhea, and we were quite scared for a moment, but then he got better.
(00:27:34):
I know of my friends in school, she just started developing blisters all over her arms and her face, and we didn't understand why, but the whole time it was the water. So it was these small things that we are starting to pick up in the community, and we didn't understand what it was until the government actually had to launch a campaign saying that, "Don't drink water from the tab, rather buy bottled water." They set up bottled water stations all over the community, and they gave us ways in which we could purify our own water at home, whether it is boiling the water, adding a teaspoon of bleach and maybe two liters of water.
(00:28:08):
And that's when we saw, "Okay, that this is really getting serious, and it wasn't anymore such a thing of, 'Oh, it's just a drought, but it was becoming personal, and it was really affecting the people around me.'" And my family really struggled through it. My mom really struggled through it. Honestly, to this day, I don't know how she managed to make it through that situation with such an uppity and hopeful spirit. I think that's where I get my hope from, my mom. It's very important when you're in situations of disdain or just hopelessness that you have people around you to motivate you instead of just forcing the doom and gloom narrative down your throat. So it's something that I also like to encourage in my own work.
Cody Simms (00:28:51):
Well, thanks for sharing that, and obviously, I can't believe you had to experience that at your age and go through that with your family. It's inspiring to hear that that has prompted you to lean into action. Maybe share where that has gone for you. I saw a picture on your Instagram of you with the Dalai Lama.
(00:29:11):
I saw that you've visited Antarctica. I saw that you have spoken at the New York Times Office on climate change effects in Africa. Maybe relate some of what you now being one of the youngest members of this Presidential Climate Commission in South Africa has resulted in terms of access and your ability to build a platform for yourself and for others like you.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:29:35):
What I really noticed is that you can't really force anyone to be an activist. Even me, if you came to me and you pitched the thing of climate change, I wouldn't have really cared. What drove me to be so active in it is because I got personally affected by it, and that built something inside of me that I just couldn't sit down while this is happening around me. So one thing about me, I'm always keen. I jump headfirst into things. It's not always the best thing, but it's been working for me because even in the environmental program, a lot of people were shy and timid. They joined because they just wanted to hang out and go on hikes.
(00:30:13):
But I came in with the mission, and I was rigorous, and I was just out there just wanting to work, wanting to find solutions, and that got noticed in me quite young. And I wasn't the smartest kid in the class. I wasn't the outspoken or whatever it may be, but I had something to say, and I just knew that my story deserved to be heard and people related to that. So through me just being eager to learn, eager to know more, and eager to share my stories that really opened doors for me. And I wasn't afraid of big things if I can put it that way. I raised my hand to the president, so the moment anyone comes to me with an opportunity that I feel that could really benefit my community, I jumped straight into it, even if I'm scared.
(00:30:58):
So even with the Matrics in Antarctica program, it's a competition basically that came to South Africa where they were basically choosing five students from all over South Africa to go on an exhibition with the Explorer Riaan Manser and a team of scientists to basically go conduct research in Antarctica to see how it's actually getting affected by the climate crisis and to get more insight on how climate change is affecting different parts of the world because I had only been affected by drought. Some people had only been affected by flood, but now to see different atmosphere is getting affected by climate change was just something amazing. And through that experience it just spearheaded me to actually want to learn more about climate change and to do more.
(00:31:43):
And through those experiences, they opened doors for me because that's how I got invited to join the African Climate Alliance, which is basically a group of young people that we decided we're going to come together, we're going to plan a protest in Cape Town, and we're going to protest against the climate crisis being ignored in Cape Town. And that just headed into something else. We were able to partner with more than a million youth from around the world to organize the climate strike that took place in September in 2019, if I'm not mistaken. And just basically, that willingness to go out there and share my story is really what helped me. I can't really say it's because I was worthy or there was something different about me. The way we say it in my religion, I'm Christian, is that, "God's grace was just completely upon me." I just believe that things happened to me the way they did.
(00:32:35):
I faced that hurt for a reason, and God chose me for a reason because He knew that my story could reach people and get more people to talk. And most importantly, the reason why I do all the things that I do, and I join the platforms I join, and I get recognized for the work I do is because I always bring it home. I don't let the situations I'm in change me. I don't go with the wind. If something does not go with my morals, I do not take it. And every platform I'm in, the image I have in my head is my family when we saw my mother's farm and the experiences of other people in my community that are relying on me to go out there and share the experiences that we are facing in my country, specifically my community. So I hope that answered your question, Cody.
Cody Simms (00:33:23):
It does. Yeah. Well, first of all, that's a very humble self-view of yourself, given all the work that you're doing, and I don't think probably anyone could do it. So it's amazing to hear your story. I guess one last question for you, and then we'll ask Dysmus some questions, and we'll come back to you.
(00:33:38):
Obviously, we're going to spend a bunch of time talking about your experiences with the 776 Foundation and whatnot. But right now, from a priorities perspective, is your main focus to push the South African government to adopt policies in South Africa around clean energy and around resilience to climate change? Or is your primary focus being a voice of South Africa to the global community or a little bit of both?
Ayakha Melithafa (00:34:07):
That's a mouthful, but it definitely is a little bit of both. I believe in synergies. Working in synergies are not only tackling one aspect of the problem, mainly my big focus is on raising awareness and educating young people in schools. Because one thing I always mention even within the commission is that all of the work that we're doing here, going to renewable energy, transferring people from coal affected communities to renewable energy, communities is that if we're talking all of these things, and then they're not reflected in our basic education, then all of the young kids that are growing up into this industry are doomed to repeat the same mistakes that we have done.
(00:34:46):
So for me, I really believe that they have to go hand in hand. What I believe in for the Presidential Climate Commission specifically is that this isn't a unique opportunity for us to really become role players and actually lead the change of us as South Africa being one of the highest polluting countries or the highest countries that emit carbon emissions in the world, is that we have this opportunity to actually change and show that it is possible to go from one to the other because there's always this talk on how do we transition from high dependency on fossil fuels to renewable energy? And there's a lot of talk on, "Well, we don't have to do it. The Global North is the one that's responsible for the climate crisis. They should clean it up."
(00:35:29):
And I feel like even though that is true, but we all have a role to play, and we should leverage the role that we have in South Africa because we are very rich in sun. We are very rich in wind. We are basically a great place to really implement renewable energy and see where it takes us. There's a lot of focus on South Africa right now because of the just transition that's happening. And there's a lot of eyes on us on to see if it's actually possible and to see if it's still possible to make sure that the human or the person is at the center of it all trying to put politics aside, trying to put differences aside and actually just focus on humanity for once and trying to better the experience of people.
Yin Lu (00:36:12):
Hey everyone. I'm Yin, a partner at MCJ Collective, here to take a quick minute to tell you about our MCJ membership community, which was born out of a collective thirst for peer-to-peer learning, and doing that goes beyond just listening to the podcast. We started in 2019 and have grown to thousands of members globally. Each week we're inspired by people who join with different backgrounds and points of view. What we all share is a deep curiosity to learn and a bias to action around ways to accelerate solutions to climate change. Some awesome initiatives have come out of the community.
(00:36:41):
A number of founding teams have met, several nonprofits have been established, and a bunch of hiring has been done. Many early-stage investments have been made, as well as ongoing events and programming like monthly women in climate meetups, idea jam sessions for early-stage founders, climate book club, art workshops, and more. Whether you've been in the climate space for a while or just embarking on your journey, having a community to support you is important. If you want to learn more, head over to mcjcollective.com and click on the member's tab at the top. Thanks, and enjoy the rest of the show.
Cody Simms (00:37:13):
What I heard was that you're focused on pushing a one-to-many agenda in that your goal is to help South Africa increase education amongst youth to learn about climate change so that folks can actually be able to work productively in the transition from the start. With that, that's a perfect transition to Dysmus. Dysmus, one of the things I read about the work that you're doing with Solar Freeze is that you had moved to California and were going to UC Davis when you began to really understand what was going on with food waste, and that encouraged you to move back to Kenya to start Solar Freeze.
(00:37:55):
I don't know if I have that story exactly right. But that, to me, would a little bit underscore Ayakha's message that the more education we can do amongst youth all around the world on climate change, the more we can maybe spur people into action faster. Can you confirm my understanding of your story and then maybe explain a little bit about how you were motivated to start Solar Freeze in the first place?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:38:16):
I had an opportunity to attend UC Davis, and they're very big in ag, so seeing the technology that they were implementing around the tropical climate, so working with fruits such as mangoes and avocados and all these fruits that are very much common in the Global South. So my main idea was that why can I not transfer the technology towards what small-scale farmers are doing back home in Kenya? Because well over 60% of our economy is driven by agriculture, and in that 60%, at least out of every ten, eight are women doing that agriculture.
(00:38:53):
And the challenge is that they don't have access to productive use assets such as cold storage and assets that will help them increase their income and also reduce post-harvest loss. So currently, there're well over 500 million small-scale farmers are losing over 45% of what they produce, and this is because there's a challenge in terms of the technology that they have access to and how they access that technology. Is it do we have to design new business models that meet them at their point of need, and do we have to think of their challenge in terms of their day-to-day solutions in terms of solving post-harvest loss?
(00:39:27):
So I really wanted to solve this challenge because I grew up in a rural environment in Makueni, which is down in Eastern Kenya, and my grandmother and my parents are still small-scale farmers, and what they're doing is mostly subsistent farming of fresh produce. So I thought to myself, "How can I change the story from subsistent farmers to commercial farmers who can eek a living that is more sustainable and is more recurrent based on more sustainable methods of agriculture? So I thought about Solar Freeze and how it can work for rural small-scale farmers.
Cody Simms (00:40:01):
If I'm not mistaken, Kenya as well in the late 1970s early 1980s, had some pretty severe drought also. Curious if your family, as small-scale farmers at the time, had to navigate that in any significant ways that you're familiar with.
Dysmus Kisilu (00:40:17):
Actually, Cody, let's go back to a very recent story. So in 2023, we are just coming out of the worst drought in our country's history since more than 60 years ago.
Cody Simms (00:40:31):
Oh my goodness. Okay. Even more recent. Yeah.
Dysmus Kisilu (00:40:34):
Yeah. So Ayakha, I was saying about drought in South Africa and the access to water challenge. So I've seen that a lot with small-scale farmers, especially in the pastoralist community. Most of them had livestock, and there's been a great human-to-wildlife conflict because a lot of the pastoralists are looking for pasture, and because most of where they graze their cattle, there they don't have grasslands now.
(00:40:57):
The drought has been really severe, but recently we just had rains that have helped break that cycle. But it was a huge eye-opener to the country that this thing is real and this thing is here. So we need solutions that can help small-scale farmers and pastoralist community better navigate around severe climate change issues that are currently happening in Kenya right now.
Cody Simms (00:41:18):
And with Solar Freeze, how long does it allow produce to be kept cold? What's the average sort of shelf life increase of the produce that is stored within your units?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:41:31):
Different produce have different shelf life. So the best candidates for us is things like potatoes. Kenya is one of the biggest potato-producing belts in Africa, so they can last well over nine months if well-preserved. And without cold storage, this is a product that goes bad within two months or less. So what we do is provide effective refrigeration as well as connect farmers with better markets because we realize working on one part of the problem is good, but farmers also need to have incomes that they can rely on.
(00:42:02):
So linking them with better markets through a simple mobile app that connects them with institutions that will buy their producing in bulk, like restaurants and schools, is one area that we normally help the farmers once they store their produce. So thinking about how can we transition farmers from subsistence farming to more high-value horticulture that will increase their income, and we will also help them to be more climate-smart farmers by using solar-powered facilities from Solar Freeze.
Cody Simms (00:42:31):
How does Solar Freeze help them move from being subsistence farmers to participating more on the global commodity markets? Is it because you can extend the shelf life of these foods? You can buy and sell it when the global commodity markets most need it.
Dysmus Kisilu (00:42:45):
One thing I've always been curious is that Kenya is a very big exporter of cut flowers to mostly Europe, Denmark, to be specific. We export a lot of flowers, and I've always wondered why those flowers make it out of the farms in Naivasha, which is in Rift Valley in Kenya, all the way to Denmark without any losses. But a farmer within that community trying to get their potatoes from Rift Valley to Nairobi, they find that if they are targeting to sell a crate of produce for 20 US dollars, they might end up getting 10 US dollars or even losing most of it. So for me, it was a matter of thinking what is the market disconnect because that seems to be one part of the problem.
(00:43:31):
And also helping these farmers connect to Solar Freeze through our model, which uses large solar-powered cold storage systems that are fully solar-powered. And also, we innovated around how can they be cheaper because the average price of a 20-foot cold storage system that is mechanical. By mechanical, I mean the normal AC that uses CFC gases. So it's pretty expensive, well over 70,000 US dollars. So we innovated around evaporative cooling that basically runs water around cooling pads and then that, in essence, reduces the temperature to at least seven to 10 degrees Celsius, which is ideal for a lot of produce. So the price there came all the way down to 15,000 US dollars, which is a significant decrease, but still, a lot of farmers cannot afford this.
(00:44:18):
So we thought about, "What is the best way to make them afford?" Can it be a service model? Can they pay on a daily basis? So if they have a crate of produce, how can we reduce the price even further down to five US cents for a storage of crates or produce per day? So, in essence, that will make it much more simpler and turn a productive use asset. Instead of getting credit from a bank, how can it be sort of like a service? Like if you go to an Airbnb, you don't own that apartment, but you use it for just that weekend, and then that asset remains with the owner. So that's essentially what Solar Freeze has done for small older farmers. Working with them through a service model, providing an asset that is really critical and making it as a service so that they can get to pay as little as 0.5 US cents per day for storage of their produce.
Cody Simms (00:45:09):
So if I understand correctly, then Solar Freeze builds the facilities and owns and operates them and finds the financing to do that, and then the farmers are able to pay for access to use the facility to store their produce.
(00:45:23):
And what that allows is both the produce to then not need to be immediately consumed to where it can find global buyers for it. But it also presumably then also provides local resiliency in the events of drought or flooding locally so that there is additional potential foodstuffs to be consumed locally as needed. Am I understanding correctly how the product works and these benefits that you're able to provide?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:45:52):
Kind of correct, but a major focus for where this produce ends up is not global because Kenya is still very much food insecure. So we, as a company, work as much as possible to link farmers in country to consumers in country because access to fresh produce in some areas might not be prevalent as in other areas. So we normally try to focus on high-value horticulture that can be easily sold in country so that we can get the best prices in Kenya.
(00:46:23):
So this is through working with schools, restaurants, institutions that are based in Kenya that need access to bulk and predictable supply of fresh produce. And Solar Freeze acts as an aggregator. So because we work with a lot of farmers storing at the same time, typically the same type of produce, it's easy to link them with better markets for them to purchase those produce from Solar Freeze.
Cody Simms (00:46:48):
And you've worked with a few thousand farmers already, if I read correctly, is that right?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:46:53):
So this year, we are crossing our 10,000 mark of farmers we have worked with since we started our operations, I think, three years ago. This is still a scratch of the surface. So Kenya has 12 million small-scale farmers, and there are over 500 million small-scale farmers experiencing post-harvest loss. So we still have a long way to go. And with the general support of 776, we are de-risking this investment and making it possible for a lot of small-scale farmers to access solar-powered refrigeration and cooling.
Cody Simms (00:47:23):
That's incredible growth. I mean, I think in the prospectus I got from 776 Foundation from when you had finished the program, you were at 3000 farmers. You've almost tripled that number since you entered the program, which is amazing. And then, in addition to all of that, going back to Ayakha's point on the need for education, you're also the founder of a program called Each One, Teach One. Can you explain a little bit more about what that does and how you expect that to help accelerate more people to pay attention to renewable energy?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:47:55):
In the communities where Solar Freeze is working to deploy solar-powered cold storage, we noticed that there are so many post-secondary schools, students mostly between the ages of 18 to 23 years old, very keen on what is this alien technology that we're deploying. And also, at the same time, we realized that once we have mechanical issues, because we normally have IoT sensors embedded within our Solar Freeze technology, so we get to have troubleshooting updates. So, for example, if you're based 500 miles away from this unit, it's easier for us to get a technician who is mostly one mile away from where that technology is based for them to go and see all the challenges.
(00:48:37):
So we started that program to connect post-secondary school students and university students who are mostly studying engineering and renewable energy. So it's sort of a peer-to-peer learning program. And we were super targeted towards how can we work with more young women because we didn't see young women in the technical side of renewable energy to upskill them to become technicians for Solar Freeze. This is a program that I'm really proud of because, so far, we have trained hundred young people, and we want to see more technicians, especially not just for Solar Freeze technology but other assets within the community, such as home lighting systems, solar irrigation kits.
(00:49:19):
And if you have more technicians, the community will embrace renewable energy because once this technology starts breaking down and the nearest technician to you is 500 miles away, the PR will be like, "Solar doesn't work, especially in rural areas." But if the person fixing that asset is your friendly neighborhood kid, it's much more easier to get the buy-in. And then, they also get a small income based on the fact that Solar Freeze sends them a commission for fixing that technology. So we want to grow that program to as many young people as possible, and especially young women who we haven't seen a lot of them in the renewable energy space. And I want to see this program increasing even to 1000 in the next 10 years, hopefully.
Cody Simms (00:50:05):
Amazing. Thanks for sharing that. And it's just such a good reminder of how important education is in general to climate change solutions, the work that both of you are doing, and how it can be applied in so many different local contexts. I'm curious for each of you, how did you hear about the 776 Foundation in the first place?
Dysmus Kisilu (00:50:27):
I think, for me, it was one of those emails that I got a referral from. I can't remember who. And then, when I clicked it, I thought, "Wow, this program is super applicable because it was targeted towards the work that we do." So I was like, It was going to get flooded with maybe millions of applications."
(00:50:44):
So I just put in my applications, crossed my fingers, and put my head down and continued doing the work that I was doing to make small farmers' lives much more better. So when Lissie contacted me and I chosen as a finalist, it was one of the best days since I started my organization. And the journey has been amazing, and I look forward to what the future holds.
Cody Simms (00:51:05):
How about you Ayakha?
Ayakha Melithafa (00:51:06):
For me, actually, someone referred... In South Africa, the climate activism space is very small, so oftentimes, when someone gets something, it quickly spreads. So someone sent that to me, and they were like, "You should apply." And I was like, "I don't know. We don't get opportunities like this. This would have to be a really an extraordinary person to get into it." And for a long time, I just looked at the email, and I was like, "Nah." And then my mom saw it, and she was like, "Girl, you have to apply."
(00:51:37):
And I was like, "No, it's not going to..." And she was like, "You have to at least try. Just do it, send it through, and then whatever happens, happens." And I did apply, and I got the shock of my life, and I made it as one of the finalists, and I couldn't believe it until the last interview confirming that we actually made it into the cohort. And I was like, "This is really happening." I still think about the emotions I felt that day, and it was just a whirlwind.
Cody Simms (00:52:01):
That's amazing. And Lissie, tell us the story from your end. You saw these two applications. You've probably had ideas coming at you from so many different directions, from so many different places all around the world. What was the process looking like on your end to narrow it down?
Lissie Garvin (00:52:15):
That first year was very wild because it was the very first cohort. I tell the fellows all the time, especially this first group of 20, I think I've probably said to you all a hundred times that I'm so grateful that any of them even took the chance to apply to the program because they didn't know what they were signing up for. There wasn't anything previously there to be like, "Oh, great. What a successful opportunity this could be." That's the biggest thing is that I'm so grateful to all of these young people for even coming along on this journey and trusting us. And the process itself, we've actually greatly improved it.
(00:52:53):
In this second cohort, we built the fellowship application. It's all internal in our own software at the fund and the foundation. But the first one, I just remember being so overwhelmed by the amount of applications that came through and all of these young people that were working on projects, companies research to fight climate change. They're so young. They're just 21, 22, that's... And then to dedicate your life to this. It was very overwhelming. I remember interviewing both Dysmus and Ayakha then. I mean, you all just got to hear their stories. It was kind of a no-brainer.
(00:53:34):
And then Alexis spent time with the top 25 candidates, and our scores matched up. We do a totally blind process, and so to be able to go back through and be like, "Oh, yep, this is our top 20," is really exciting. And we actually brought all of the fellows from the first cohort together in person in February. And I think having that time with everyone in real life and sharing their stories and just spending a few days getting to know one another. And reality is each one of these young people are all trying to solve the same issue, and they're all doing in very different ways and tackling very different areas. It's been very rewarding.
Cody Simms (00:54:18):
You mentioned you're on the second cohort now, but the cohort lasts two years, and so both Ayakha and Dysmus are still actively in a cohort. What does that entail? What is the experience like Ayakha and Dysmus? How often do you connect with other members of the fellowship, other cohort members? Is there programming? We don't need to spend a ton of time on it, but just explaining a little bit about, I assume there's more to it other than capital involved in terms of helping each of you build out your efforts.
Ayakha Melithafa (00:54:46):
So yeah, we actually formed quite bonds with the other young people in this grant. I remember when we all came, and we met physically for the first time. Me, and the other fellows, we're actually planning that after we spend time doing the 776 stuff that are very professional, that we actually rented an Airbnb for two days, and we actually really spend time together. We got to learn about each other. What drives each other? We got to learn about family things that we actually really enjoy doing outside of our passion and our work. And we found such a community of people that actually understands what you're going through.
(00:55:24):
When you're a young person doing so much in the world, you often feel disconnected from people your age in your community. And when you speak about things you're interested in, people don't relate because they're in school. They want to worry about boys and all of those things, and you're out here trying to save the world. We even have a WhatsApp group that we were all active in, where we share stories, we bounce ideas. If we need referrals to anything, we just pop questions in the group. And even me in the group, I felt a bit disconnected since a lot of them were doing tech startups within the climate space. But there are other young people that are working in activism as well, like Nathan.
(00:56:02):
When we often talk, and we see opportunities and ideas with each other, we find out what's working or not. We invite each other to conferences that are happening. And that's been very life changing because I get to be here in South Africa, and then he gets to be in the States, but we still have things that we are able to bond over and talk over. And that's really comforting because you have this network of resources and people that can link you to people that is just at your grasp, which is very helpful because it's not something easy to come by.
Cody Simms (00:56:33):
Lissie, anything you want to add and maybe share a little bit more about some of the other fellows that have been in the cohort too, just to add a little bit more flavor to the types of initiatives that you're helping to support?
Lissie Garvin (00:56:45):
The biggest thing that we've built that we implement at the fund and at the foundation as well. It's called Cerebro. And I always joke that it's Alexis's because it's this software that he has dreamt of creating for years. And basically it holds everything. It has 50,000 contacts in it. It has where we put all of our notes. And for the fellows, we have this thing called Agora, which means the meeting place, the community. And so it's a place where fellows can post, "Hey, there's this opportunity for this grant if you're working in renewable energy." Or Alexis can post an article that he's found, and that's just a way for Alexis to stay connected to the fellows and for myself.
(00:57:29):
In addition to that, growing out this program, we are only a year old, but any opportunity that I can come across where there's grant money, or there's a speaking opportunity, or there's a conference, I am so excited that I'm like, "Oh, I have a fellow that's working on that. Oh, you need water purification? I got a fellow for that. Oh, someone working in the cement CO2 area. Great, got that." So I think that's been really amazing as well. And then, I get to spend one-on-one time with the fellows every six weeks to just get updates and see where they're missing gaps and how I can help, and how we can score it as a whole.
(00:58:07):
To highlight some of the other fellows. It's such a range of what they're all working on. You obviously got to listen to both Ayakha and Dysmus. But for example, we have Rostam, who is in LA, and he started this company called Hydrova. And it's basically, you assume that all cans, for example, that 100% of that gets recycled. I assumed that. Apparently that is not the case. So when you're recycling a can, there's still 10% of it that ends up in landfill. And he's created this tech that basically takes that 10% and runs it through this system where it becomes dross, which then you can turn into concrete.
(00:58:53):
And so it's taking that what would've been landfill, that 10% from the can and running it through a process where it then becomes an actual lower carbon cement. And then, yeah, we have Nathan, who is working on the Youth Justice Climate Fund, and that's basically a way to bring in young people from around the world who are like Ayakha, and they're fighting on the front lines and to give them dollars to have salaries to continue that to be their full-time jobs.
(00:59:24):
And we have one fellow who's based in the Amazon, and she is fighting big oil and trying to be the liaison between the Amazon and the government and how can you stop big oil from tearing down the Amazon. So yeah, there's the widest range of what these young people are working on, and to just get to have a small part in supporting them. It's been very amazing.
Cody Simms (00:59:49):
Super amazing. And I would love to hear Ayakha and Dysmus if you're able to share what advice you have for other youth who are concerned about climate working on solutions. What have you learned now that you're in this mix with so many other amazing people of your age who are doing it, those who don't necessarily have the resources that you've been able to accrue for yourself? What advice do you have for people?
Ayakha Melithafa (01:00:15):
So we always get these questions as young people. And it's often hard to answer because you don't want to give the generic question, "Oh, join an environmental group. Go to social media, find your community." Because, oftentimes, it doesn't work. And to be completely honest with you, there is no one way to do something. Every day is a trial run for me. We fail, we succeed, we fail again, we succeed again. You know, it's just a constant uphill battle. But what I can really say to young people that are in the climate space is that make sure that you're in the space for the right reasons. Because if you're just joining it because it's a trend, it'll chew you up and spit you out.
(01:00:56):
You have to be really grounded in what you believe for. So if you believe in working for, let's say, women in agriculture and educating them and helping them when it comes to sustainability and how to farm more sustainably, make sure that you are rooted in that, and you understand everything that it comes to that because people will come by, they'll flash gold in front of your face, and if you're not strong, you'll take it, and you'll find yourself being a zombie or completely disconnected from why you started fighting in the space in the first place.
(01:01:29):
So really be rooted and understand who you're fighting for and what it is that you're really fighting for in essence. And something else I can say, especially to young people that are in Africa, is that expand your pool of funding, if I can put it that way. When I started in the climate justice movement, I kept looking for funding in my country small organizations in my country, and there was a lot of red tape around that funding. So once I started to open up my mind to opportunities internationally, that's when I really saw that I could really make an impact and tap into international funding that could allow me to really make an impact in my country in extraordinary ways. And what I can really say is that really study and read up on what you're passionate about in the climate space. Information is constantly coming up.
(01:02:17):
Things are constantly changing. There's constantly new technologies, innovations, shifts in the politics. Constantly make sure that you are caught up in what's happening currently so that if there's an opportunity that pertains to you, you're able to quickly jump on it and take it as it is. And lastly, lastly, lastly, don't be afraid. Just because you're a young person does not mean that you are invalid, does not mean that you're still missing something within yourself to be adequate. Be sure of yourself. Take that scary opportunity. If they say no, you learn something. If they say yes, then it's just opening doors for you. So one thing I can always say to young people is that, "Don't second guess yourself. Don't be afraid. Just absolutely run into the storm."
Cody Simms (01:03:04):
What a good bit of advice, and a follow-up question that I have is to ask a similar question, but from the opposite perspective, which is we have a lot of listeners at MCJ who are experienced people in finance, in technology, in clean energy. A lot of our listeners are in the United States in Europe. What requests, what advice do you have for them about how to lean in and support people like yourself?
Ayakha Melithafa (01:03:32):
So something that I actually learned from Nathan is that out of all of the funding that goes into climate change or climate projects for young people, I think it's less than 10% actually goes to African countries when that's very disheartening. And that's like, "What? Really?" Because we're out here in Africa being the most affected by climate change, even though we contribute the least. So one thing that I always appreciate from our young people and countries like the States is that you guys have access to the resources, and please share these resources with us.
(01:04:07):
Even knowing about 776, someone sent out an email, someone linked us to something, and we would've never known about it if there wasn't someone from the States that shared it with us. So please share information. Make sure that even the spaces that you are in challenge people that provide international funding. It's great to keep it in the States, but let's expand. Let's share information. Let's share resources because, ultimately, we all want the same thing.
(01:04:33):
We're all fighting for the same goal, and the more the resources go to the people that are really living in the crisis, the better. That way, we are not expecting to be saved by maybe people from the Global North, but we are able to implement solution like Dysmus over here just by being able to tap into funding from Global North countries. So that's the one thing I can request to our fellow young people working on the climate crisis in other Global North countries is that please share resources to us. We're here. We're willing to work. All we need is that opportunity.
Cody Simms (01:05:06):
Such a good reminder that climate change is a global problem and that solutions to a global problem often are local? And figuring out that the local solutions that can add up and how to support them is incredibly important. I'm so grateful to each of you for coming on and sharing your stories.
(01:05:24):
Lissie, I'm grateful for the work you're doing at 776 Foundation to help support folks like Ayakha and Dysmus, who are clearly pushing boundaries and creating a tidal wave of influence in their respective locations and globally around climate change. Any last remarks, requests, suggestions from any one of you for our listeners to make sure that we all hear?
Lissie Garvin (01:05:50):
One last comment, just to really reaffirm, I think these young people, given the platform, given the resources, they can absolutely lead the fight in climate change, and it's just a matter of believing in them and supporting them and continuing to hear what they have to say.
Cody Simms (01:06:11):
Well, what a good sentiment to end on. Ayakha, Dysmus, Lissie, thanks to all three of you for joining us on the show today. Super inspiring. For anyone listening who either is actively a young person working on climate solutions or knows someone who, hopefully as many, many of our listeners, Lissie, where should folks go to learn more about 776 Fellowship?
Lissie Garvin (01:06:34):
Yes, it's probably one of the shortest websites out there. 776, the numbers.org, and we will be opening applications for our third cohort in March, but you can sign up now to get an email reminder.
Cody Simms (01:06:48):
That's March 2024.
Lissie Garvin (01:06:49):
Yes.
Cody Simms (01:06:50):
It sounds like you can get reminded now for the upcoming cohorts, and I presume folks can follow along on social media as well to stay in touch with what's happening with some of the existing fellows. Yes?
Lissie Garvin (01:07:01):
Absolutely. 776 Foundation, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, all of the things.
Cody Simms (01:07:06):
Fantastic. Thank you all so much today, and keep on doing all that you're doing.
Lissie Garvin (01:07:07):
Thank you.
Jason Jacobs (01:07:12):
Thanks again for joining us on the My Climate Journey podcast.
Cody Simms (01:07:16):
At MCJ Collective, we're all about powering collective innovation for climate solutions by breaking down silos and unleashing problem-solving capacity.
Jason Jacobs (01:07:26):
If you'd like to learn more about MCJ Collective, visit us at mcjcollective.com. And if you have a guest suggestion, let us know that via Twitter @MCJpod.
Yin Lu (01:07:39):
For weekly climate op-eds jobs, community events, and investment announcements from our MCJ venture funds, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter on our website.
Cody Simms (01:07:48):
Thanks, and see you next episode.