Upendo is a Tanzanian climate change advocate and environmental scientist dedicated to advancing climate action, environmental justice, and community resilience across Tanzania and Africa
Dar es Salaam. Supporting women and vulnerable populations affected by climate change became a personal calling for Upendo Mwakyusa during her undergraduate studies in Environmental Sciences at the University of Dodoma.
It began with understanding how global systems function and why the world is facing the climate crisis witnessed today.
That realisation transformed climate change from an academic concept into a moral responsibility. It pushed her to seek practical responses to the gendered impacts she observed in her own communities.
Upendo is the founder of Call for Environmental Conservation (CFEC ORG), an organisation that works to build informed and resilient communities through climate action and environmental conservation, with a strong focus on addressing the unique gender-specific challenges faced by women and young girls as a result of climate change.
CFEC promotes sustainable solutions through circular economy approaches and the adoption of clean energy technologies.
Upendo is a Tanzanian climate change advocate and environmental scientist dedicated to advancing climate action, environmental justice, and community resilience across Tanzania and Africa.
She also serves as the Africa Region Lead for the Commonwealth Youth Climate Change Network (CYCN), where she champions unified youth voices and advances Africa’s climate priorities on regional and global platforms.
She envisions a future where communities thrive in harmony with nature, driven by inclusive climate solutions and empowered local leadership.
Currently, Upendo is pursuing a Master’s degree in Project Planning and Management at the Institute of Accountancy Arusha (IAA), with a focus on climate education, community empowerment, and community-driven solutions that promote sustainability, clean energy access, and resilient livelihoods.
“I entered this work through a deep commitment to serving communities, particularly women and young girls who disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change. As a young woman myself, I feel a responsibility to support, empower, and stand alongside other women. Passion has not only sustained my work; it has shaped my vision and kept my dreams alive,” she says.
In 2019, she founded CFEC as a university-based movement, which was officially registered in 2021 after her graduation.
What struck her most was realizing how differently climate change affects women and young girls, particularly in terms of health, labour, safety, and access to resources.
Through CFEC, she has led initiatives in clean cooking energy, waste management, climate education, circular economy practices, and the empowerment of female waste pickers.
“The organisation has reached over 200,000 women, youth, and children through climate education programmes, supported more than 10,000 women through gender and climate change initiatives, and economically empowered over 500 grassroots women through eco-entrepreneurship and circular economy programmes,” she says.
Founding CFEC at a young age demanded resilience before she felt fully ready.
Leadership required her to stand firm in the face of resistance, stereotypes, and doubt, particularly as a young woman in an African context where young women leaders are often questioned or misunderstood.
“There were moments when my reputation was judged more than my vision, and when seeking support felt difficult because people saw my age rather than the scale of my commitment,” she recalls.
Her early leadership journey taught her to choose what is difficult over what is comfortable.
Resilience became non-negotiable as she learned that leadership is not about ease, but about endurance, clarity of purpose, and continuing even when belief from others is limited.
As part of her efforts to educate communities on climate change, Upendo uses storytelling to advance climate action.
She has authored 15 environmental articles, a book, and a magazine focused on climate action and sustainability, aimed at educating, inspiring, and mobilising communities towards meaningful environmental change.
She believes that because climate change affects women first and hardest, women must be placed at the centre of climate solutions, not merely as beneficiaries.
“Women approach challenges with a community-centred lens that considers long-term wellbeing rather than short-term fixes. Placing women at the centre shifts climate action from being reactive to being transformative,” she says.
Her leadership and impact have been recognised both nationally and internationally.
In 2022, she received Tanzania’s Outstanding Youth in Environmental Conservation Award, and in 2023, she was honoured with the Young Woman Leading on Climate Action and Environmental Issues Award for her contribution to climate action and grassroots women’s empowerment.
Speaking about the Outstanding Youth in Environmental Conservation Award, she says it represents national recognition of youth leadership in protecting natural resources, promoting climate resilience, and advancing sustainable development.
“It also reflects Tanzania’s commitment to supporting youth-led initiatives as part of its environmental and climate action agenda,” she says.
On the Young Woman Leading on Climate Action and Environmental Issues Award, she notes that it highlights the growing recognition of women as key leaders in climate action and environmental stewardship.
“For women and girls, it symbolises empowerment, inclusion, and the breaking of gender barriers in leadership and decision-making. The award elevates women’s voices, strengthens women-led grassroots movements, and inspires more young women to actively participate in climate action and community development,” she says. Reflecting on how she stays grounded amid the weight of climate urgency, Upendo says reflection is essential.
“I regularly revisit my vision and remind myself why I started. When exhaustion sets in, I look at the people and communities whose lives have changed through our work and how far the journey has come,” she says.
Operating across local, regional, and global platforms, she is intentional about ensuring grassroots women remain visible in high-level climate conversations through representation and accountability.
Her participation in global platforms, she says, has never been about personal visibility, but about representing communities.
“When I speak in these spaces, I carry the voices of women who cannot access those rooms. Beyond representation, it is essential to establish feedback loops by bringing global conversations back to communities and amplifying community priorities upward. Visibility must translate into influence, and influence must translate into action that directly benefits grassroots women,” she says.
For girls watching her journey, Upendo hopes it inspires them to believe that all dreams are valid.
“No dream is too big if you are willing to commit to it with discipline, focus, and smart work. Young girls should never limit their aspirations because of fear or societal expectations,” she says.
