Marketing student Areej was keen to play her part in tackling the climate crisis, but wasn’t sure she had the knowledge and understanding to make a difference.
Eager to learn, she seized the chance to take part in Climate Connection Champions. Our global programme supports young people like Areej to take action against climate change and lead positive change in their communities.
Led by UK trainers and Bahraini facilitators, the programme brought together 48 local students who worked in teams to develop sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.
Areej’s team took aim at water wastage from widely used air conditioning systems. Their solution connects the systems to storage tanks, allowing water to be collected and reused in gardening, fire safety and other areas.
Putting the plan into practice allowed Areej to build her project management skills, She gained practical experience in product sourcing and supply chain co-ordination, and also had the opportunity to consult potential customers, including businesses and universities.
Areej was encouraged by the warm responses she received from her local community, which she felt suggested they were open to new approaches to the climate crisis. This reaffirmed her belief in what she was doing.
‘My confidence in making people aware about the challenges that my community is facing from climate change has increased as a result of the programme,’ Areej says.
‘I believe that working in a team to address these challenges offers a high potential for impact.’
Areej especially valued the opportunity to collaborate with other students and enjoyed the energy the facilitators brought to the programme.
Her experience has encouraged her to think more about the role she could play in addressing climate change and motivated her to do more in the future.
‘These sessions helped me to think about how I can get into this and made me want to know more about climate change.’