In Conversation: Eco-anxiety informed by African Perspective

The climate and ecological crisis is taking a growing toll on the mental health of children and young people. Although eco-anxiety is not  considered a diagnosable condition, recognition of its complex psychological effects and disproportionate impact on children and young people are increasing.

We invited two young Africans, Lekwa Hope and Shelot Masithi, to share their personal stories of understanding eco-emotions from their unique perspectives in the world for the May edition of the TEAP Webinar series. Lekwa is a sustainability advocate and researcher who is interested in climate change, economic development, and closing the climate education gap in Nigeria. Shelot is a South African environmental activist and the founder of She4Earth, an organization that educates children and youths about environmental crises and offers Ubuntu-based solutions. They discuss their feelings about climate change and environmental degradation, as well as the emotional and mental toll it has taken on them.

Shelot and Lekwa both experience fear, panic, and anger when they think about the environmental disaster, especially given that they both reside on a continent where other crises are occurring that may be inextricably tied to the destruction of our planet. Shelot experienced a range of emotions as a result of the ongoing water cuts in her neighborhood as a result of the ongoing drought, including concern for her survival. Lekwa’s apprehensive concerns for the environment were sparked by witnessing environmental degradation in real time and the lack of action taken to protect communities and sensitive areas from human-induced climate change.

All is not doom and gloom though, When asked how they cope with these emotions, they both admitted that taking action helps to channel their emotions into momentum for change. Shelot even stated that watching anime helps her focus on climate action. As a takeaway, young people require community and peer support and collaboration to find solutions for climate mitigation, adaptation, and awareness. Individually, they have limited capacity and can only be resilient for so long; collectively, we can impact a larger community, both locally and globally.

Read more about their experiences in their interview with ONCA here