THE IRON LADY YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT

Started activism on children’s right at the age of 10 in Calabar area of the Niger Delta where she was raised. She spoke at events and raised awareness on the plight of Nigerian children, especially during the Children’s Day celebration.  Later in her secondary school days, she worked on adolescents and youth’s reproductive health issues.

Esther Agbarakwe (aka EstherClimate) co-founded the Nigerian Youth Climate Coalition (NYCC) in 2009 after working and volunteering as a Peer Health Educator from 2004 to 2008. She also serves as the technical Advisor to the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) and African coordinator of UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) - Youth and Children Major Group.

Born on April 1984, EstherClimate studied Chemistry at the University of Calabar, Nigeria and had her Post-graduate degree on Sustainable Development at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Esther cares for the environment and young people, who will bear the consequences of the actions of older generations. Her Climate activism began when she became part of the Earth Charter Initiative, a diverse global network of people and institutions that promote values and the principle of sustainable development.

Life according to her is already hard among communities living in rural areas and slums. This people have limited or no access to health infrastructures or any social infrastructure at all. Climate change is making life even harder for them.

Esther has represented Nigeria and Africa at over 13 global governance meetings on sustainable development.

Some other achievements of Esther Agbarakwe are:

• A 2009 Dekeyser & Friends Foundation Fellow
• 7th LEAP Africa Annual Nigerian Youth Leadership Award in 2010.
• She was selected as 'Women Deliver 100 Young Leaders' for her strong interest in women’s issues
• Atlas Corps international fellow
• Commonwealth Youth Climate fellow
• Youngers of the Elders+Youngers initiative involving notable leaders such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Credit:  theelders.org, nigycc.net, philanthropyforum.org, estheragbarakwe.blogspot.com, nigerianyouthclimatecoalition.blogspot.com, bellanaija.com, ynaija.com, leadingladiesafrica.org, thescoopng.com, and afdb.org