Our Story – Laudato Youth Initiative

Our History

Who We Are

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Uganda was one of the countries that had a strict lockdown in Africa….

Background of the Laudato Youth Initiative

Thus, we witnessed both the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 lockdown in both urban and rural areas of the Country. The message of the encyclical Laudato Si’ proved to be the most needed to address these issues at the time; however, the challenge was always how many people knew of it?

When one analyses the two important points of integral ecology, the ideal response is to unite for action and mobilize young people to nurture an ecologically responsive generation through individual ecological conversion, inspiring our families, grassroots communities, organised institutions, and organisations in a system that is aligned to embracing integral ecology. One needs to balance the paradigms that guide (the economic, social, and environmental) aspects. The biggest challenges of the time. Reflecting on the Catholic Social teachings on the environment, the Message of Laudato Si, and tangible aspects of SDGs about the realities in our communities.

In our communities, the pandemic created complex situations, from rendering people jobs and resorting to cutting trees for income generation and survival through charcoal burning, lumbering since there wasn’t even much government supervision due to the lockdown to worsened complexities of plastic waste management, due to reduced garbage collection, food insecurity especially for urban dweller who had no access to farming, many people lost jobs and somewhat experienced vulnerability of limited resources and others. This was a turning point for us to respond to reality in 2020.

The year 2025 is a Jubilee Year; in the same year, we lost the father of the encyclical that has shaped the way we look at climate change and peace in our world today. In a special way it also marks the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical letter released in 2015 just before the Paris Climate Summit. The encyclical calls for an ecological conversion, urging all people to care for our common home through sustainability, social justice, and environmental stewardship.

To explore how this encyclical has shaped environmental action over the past decade, Vatican Radio hosted Brother Adolf, of the Holy Cross Congregation and mentor of this environmental group in Uganda, who shared insights with Vatican Media about how young people are leading on climate action—blending faith with tangible solutions.

“I’ve been involved with mentoring a group of young people in Uganda called the Laudato Youth Initiative since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,” Brother Adolf shared. “This initiative grew out of the need to give hope during the pandemic. As you may know, we witnessed the urgent need for climate action, especially in the face of increasing natural disasters and environmental degradation.”

He explained that the visible effects of pollution and climate injustice motivated him to create a platform where youth could engage in meaningful action, inspired by the message of Laudato Si’, with an emphasis on our shared responsibility to care for creation.

“We aim to form a generation of climate-resilient people,” Brother Adolf stated. “As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si’, and through Catholic Social Teaching, we empower youth to take action for the planet and to adopt sustainable living. Our goal is to raise active participants in the journey toward ecological conversion, as we are called by the Church to address global warming.”

Brother Adolf emphasized that he chose to work with young people because they are the future leaders who will inherit the consequences of today’s environmental decisions. Engaging them fosters a sense of responsibility and hope, helping them become champions of change in their families and communities.“We are mentoring a climate-resilient generation of Laudato Youth growing up with the values and understanding of what is needed to address environmental issues practically.”

Using Media and the Birth of the Laudato Si’ Green Festival

With the challenges of the pandemic we started our awareness campaigns on the media to mobilize and encourage people to use their time during the pandemic to care for mother earth and now with the increasing presence of digital media to tell stories that can change the narrative, the initiative adopted multimedia tools to sensitize the public about the dangers of climate change. Following the pandemic, in April 2022, we launched an innovative program: the Laudato Si’ Green Festival.“After witnessing the environmental damage during the pandemic, we needed an impactful response that would unite people for Climate Action. The Laudato Si’ Festival became an iconic event, uniting communities, schools, dioceses, and organizations for concrete actions, encouraging corporate social responsibility, and promoting care for creation.”One unique aspect of the festival is how it uses festivities, a medium for people to unite, pray, participate in educational social mentorship programs with the youth, and relate to integral ecology (the interconnection) that helps us to communicate Laudato Si’. Today, thanks to this initiative, many parishes, dioceses, and educational institutions across Uganda are actively involved in Laudato Si’ activities.

“Our initiative has had a positive impact across society. We’re reaching many families, grassroots and institutional youth groups in Uganda and as far as Kenya and Tanzania via Media. The youth now feel empowered as African youth, who see themselves capable of contributing to climate action activities and to interpreting church documents in their cultural context, thus driving local action.”

The initiative has formed Laudato Si’ Clubs in parishes, schools, and communities, including non-Catholic institutions. For example, Nyasura School, a Protestant-founded school in Uganda, has one of the strongest Laudato Si’ Clubs, even leading collaborations with other environmental organizations.“Youth feel they have answers to climate challenges, but lack platforms. Our role is to help them transfer knowledge from the Laudato Si Clubs to their homes and communities. When others see the fruits of their work, they’re inspired to start something too.”

Expanding Impact: From Parishes to Interfaith Conferences

The initiative has also integrated interfaith conferences during the Season of Creation, realizing that faith groups, despite their differences, share a common message that the environment is our shared responsibility. Caring for the environment, too, can unite us as people of God.Our Story Despite progress, climate change remains an urgent crisis, with critical gaps yet to be addressed. To reverse climate change, we must take immediate action against greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, fossil fuel dependence, and unsustainable farming.“We all know that when the Earth is wounded, it affects everyone, especially the poor and young generations, depriving them of shelter, food, and a future.”Though our planet has been mistreated, Brother Adolf still believes it can be saved if we all step forward.“Laudato Si’ inspires us to take action, starting with individuals, families, schools, and communities. Young people in Africa have the greatest responsibility to save the world. If Greta’s efforts have contributed significantly in the Global North, how about us here in Uganda?”Brother Adolf calls on elders and leaders to support youth with diligence, urging all church leaders, political leaders, NGOs, and institutions of learning to recognize that the environment matters.

A Youth Voice: Sarah from the Laudato Youth Initiative

One passionate youth voice is Sarah, who, from her time as a student at Holy Cross Lake View, was mentored and is now the president of the Laudato Si Clubs with the Laudato Youth Initiative. To hear a bit of her story“I was inspired by my mentors to love myself and the environment. Its beauty gives me a sense of self and a taste of God’s goodness.”Sarah has been mentored through reflecting on church documents. She has actively reflected on Laudato Si’ and Christus Vivit, and feels empowered to make a difference.“When recording a bit of the story of the initiative, she said “As I return to school, I will stay active in promoting climate action. More importantly, I want to inspire other youth and people of goodwill to appreciate nature and be the change we want to see.”The then the Infinite Singers and now (Laudato Youth) had planted hundreds of trees, led community clean-ups, organized environmental talks, and reached out to individuals and youth groups, especially after the devastation of the COVID-19 lockdown.“Despite the destruction we saw, we never gave up. We kept planting and educating. “Environmental conservation must be a priority.” They addedSarah closes with a powerful message:“Fellow youth, let us play our role in conserving and loving the environment because if we don’t, we will face the first consequences. I appeal to everyone watching or reading this to share this message. The time to act is now. Not all is lost.”Youth Donating their talents to be mentored into Leadership In 2023, the Laudato Youth Initiative pioneered the Laudato Si Green Festival as one of its programs conducted from regional to national levels. The aim was to bring together stakeholders, communities, and institutions through its Laudato Si Clubs to increase tree planting initiatives and promote deeper integration of environmental education into Uganda’s national curriculum.This began with engaging Laudato Si Clubs in schools to establish local initiatives that allow them to engage with the community, ranging from students raising awareness through Green Walks, to massive tree planting, Environmental Parliaments and debates, to showcasing environmental projects.This year 2025, we conducted another historic Laudato Si Green Festival, which involved a “Green Walk”, Green Mass (Care for the Creation Mass,) eco-exhibitions on recycling, organic farming, solar energy, and plastic waste management,and Laudato Ai, all demonstrating innovation and a growing commitment to sustainability.The program was designed to invite schools, churches, communities, NGOs and government bodies to enhance the preservation of biodiversity, promote green practices, and build a national culture of conservation, said Ms Immaculate Kisembo, the Laudato Youth Initiative Programs Manager and Patron of the Laudato Si Club of Holy Cross Lake View SSS Wanyange Jinja, emphasized the importance of youth engagement and environmental protection saying, “Involving students early is key to shaping a generation that values the environment”, she said. Our goal is to challenge threats like deforestation and wetland encroachment and build a national culture of conservation,” she addedStudents Rallied for Environmental Action at the Laudato Si Green Festival in Jinja. Mr. Benard Kahwa, the Executive Director of the Laudato Youth Initiative, pledged to expand the annual Laudato Si Festival, bringing more schools on board, increasing tree planting initiatives, and pushing for deeper integration of environmental education into Uganda’s national curriculum.

Learn More About Us..

We are a non-profit Catholic Religious Youth-Led initiative in Uganda that promotes the encyclical Laudato Si’ and Environmental Action to create more sustainable communities. Our activities and programs focus on responding to climate change through clubs in schools, universities, and dioceses.

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