Voix du Paysan to train and inform citizens: a commitment to social and climate justice.
As part of Global Climate Action Week, around thirty young activists from the city of Goma took over the Kituku market for a spectacular awareness campaign against deforestation and dependence on fossil fuels. Armed with colorful placards and ecological briquettes, these activists chanted powerful slogans such as Charcoal destroys and kills our forests, let’s switch to renewable energy! Their goal was to alert the population to the devastation caused by traditional charcoal, which is responsible for massive deforestation in the Kivu region.
Green, local, and effective alternatives
The young activists presented ecological briquettes made from agricultural waste and recycled materials (paper, sugarcane, nut shells). These briquettes, which burn longer and cost less than traditional charcoal, represent a sustainable and accessible solution. Each sack of charcoal is one less tree for our children, said one participant and charcoal seller at the Kituku market, while Justin Mutabesha highlighted the positive impact of this alternative in terms of job creation, forest protection, and the fight against climate change and global warming in the DRC.
Citizen mobilization for a future without oil or coal
As part of the global movement, the Draw The Line campaign, initiated by 350.org, Climate Action Network-International (CAN-I), and Africans Rising, invites young Congolese activists to lead awareness actions demanding not only a ban on mining and oil exploitation in national parks, but also government support for renewable energy and the implementation of large-scale reforestation programs. We refuse to let oil and gas destroy our future, declared Justin Mutabesha, calling for local solutions such as solar, biomass, and hydroelectricity to build a greener future in the DRC.
The Editorial Team
