WASHINGTON, D.C., August 22, 2021 – Lauren Ritchie, a 19-year-old student from The Bahamas who is studying sustainable development and political science at Columbia University, is among five young women who were described by former First Lady Michelle Obama as “changemakers” in a post today celebrating Earth Day.
In her post, Mrs. Obama noted: “Happy EarthDay! Today, I’m celebrating changemakers like Carmela Bagum, a young woman from the Philippines who is committed to protecting our planet. Carmela grew up in a fishing village, where her passion for marine life pushed her to become a licensed fisheries technologist—despite the floods and typhoons that often closed her school.
“She is one of millions of girls whose education has been disrupted by the climate crisis, but she is also part of the rising generation of leaders who are already taking charge as we confront it. That’s why Girls Opportunity Alliance, Malala Fund, and Girl Rising are teaming up to spotlight five young women, just like Carmela, who are working to protect our planet—from planting trees in Kenya to pushing for wildlife conservation in India. I am inspired by their work, and I hope you will read more about them here: bit.ly/GOAEarthDay.”
Lauren is one of the five young women featured in the GLOBAL CITIZEN article written by Christina Lowery (Chief Executive Officer of Girl Rising); Tiffany Drake (Executive Director of the Girls Opportunity Alliance at the Obama Foundation); and Suzanne Ehlers (Chief Executive Officer of Malala Fund). The others are Carmela Ellaga, Philippines; Ellyanne Wanjiku, Kenya; Xiye Bastida, US; and Vanya Sayimane, India.
“From a young age, Lauren was passionate about social and environmental issues, especially the ones occurring on her island, the article states. “Her journey with the eco-community began in high school as a member of the Keep Grand Bahama Clean initiative, participating in beach clean-ups, environmental protests, and educational programs to spread awareness about environmental protection on her island. The more she continued her climate activism work, the more she realized there weren’t enough Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) voices in the climate conversation.”
The article adds: “In May 2020, she launched the Eco Justice Project, a digital platform that educates on global climate justice, promotes intersectional climate action, and amplifies the voices of marginalized communities. She is also a writer and content strategist for Brown Girl Green and the co-host of the podcast Black Girl Blueprint.”
The article quoted Lauren as saying: “Environmentalists must not only reconcile with the racist and exclusionary history of environmentalism but also address the fact that climate change disproportionately impacts communities of color.”
Following is a link to the article: https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/young-women-fighting-for-climate-justice/
