From Backyard Gardens to Global Action: Levy’s Journey of Climate Leadership

A proud Zambian Youth Mentor for the POP Zambia initiative, my journey into environmental sustainability began in 2015, when I started as a simple backyard gardener at my parents’ house in Lusaka. This passion deepened in 2016, when I joined the Natural Resources Development College, where I became an active advocate for backyard gardens and local food production.

In 2018, I was recommended to join the U.N. Major Group for Children and Youth as a member, and by 2020, I was honored to serve as one of the Regional Focal Points for East and Southern Africa in its Humanitarian Affairs Working Group. That same year, I also joined the POP Movement as a member and mentee in the mentorship program, an experience that eventually shaped me into a mentor myself.

Through the POP Movement, I have been involved in several climate education and tree-planting projects in Lusaka and Mumbwa districts, carried out both virtually and physically. We have also collaborated with the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment in Zambia and partnered with like-minded NGOs and educational institutions in Lusaka to expand the reach of our efforts.

POP has given me the opportunity to participate in international platforms, including the POP Conference and Festival in India (2024), UNCCD COP16 in Saudi Arabia, and the AFS Intercultural Program in New York (2025).

During the POP Conference in India, together with a fellow mentor from India, we co-created the SALEVS Agroforestry Initiative in Zambia. This initiative focuses on agroforestry activities and bio-farming projects, and it was even featured as part of the side events at the U.N. High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) 2024. We are especially proud that this project has been adopted by the Kuvuna Foundation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), signaling its potential to expand and create meaningful change across borders.

This journey, which began with a small backyard garden, has grown into a movement of youth-led climate action, mentorship, and innovation, a testament to how small beginnings can inspire global change.