Bridget's Brave Testimony – A Child's Fight for Climate Justice

As 12-year-old Bridget stands before a group of 150 children and a dozen duty bearers at Malawi's Second Children's Climate Justice Summit, her voice trembles with the weight of loss she has endured, yet it holds an unmistakable strength.

"I am one of the children that were impacted by Cyclone Freddy, which hit Malawi in 2023," she begins, touching a visible scar on her head – a painful reminder of the horrors brought by the storm.

The cyclone, one of the deadliest in Malawi's history, reshaped not only landscapes but also many children’s live, including Bridget. Born into a family of four children, she is now the sole survivor.

"I lost three siblings," she says, her eyes shadowed by memories of that fateful day. “My siblings were hardworking at school. They had dreams and aspirations,” she adds.

With their loss, Bridget is left not only to mourn her siblings but to confront an overwhelming sense of isolation: "I have no one to confide in or talk to anymore, the way I used to," she says.

The dreams her siblings, once held, were shattered when the unforgiving storm swept through Malawi, destroying homes, lives, and futures. Bridget's family, who once lived peacefully in Traditional Authority Likoswe, Chiladzulo District, have since been relocated due to the destruction.

For Bridget, the impact of climate change is not an abstract threat discussed at global summits – it is a lived reality. It has taken from her not just her home and her family, but the sense of security and normalcy that every child deserves.

Yet despite the crushing losses, Bridget remains determined: "But I have not given up hope. I continue with my education. I am determined to reach my dream and help other children experiencing similar challenges to also reach theirs.”

Education is now her refuge and her hope for a future where she can stand up for children like her, those whose lives have been torn apart by climate disasters.

Bridget is one of the fortunate few who have received help amidst the chaos. The Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development (JCED) stepped in, securing her a place at a boarding school, allowing her to continue her studies in a safe environment.

The climate justice summit, co-pioneered by Save the Children and first held in 2022, has grown into a powerful platform for children like Bridget to voice their stories. With the strong backing of the government and support from other child rights actors, it provides a crucial space for young voices to be heard and for their experiences to shape climate justice national conversations.

The first of its kind was held in 2022, graced by Malawi’s Head of State, His Excellency Dr. Lazarus Chakwera. This year, the summit was held on the 11th and 12th of September 2024, and was attended by Malawi’s Minister of Gender, Community Development, and Social Welfare, Hon. Jean Sendeza.

Bridget’s story forms part of the summit’s communique, which will go on to inform Malawi’s position paper at the global Conference of Parties (COP), a powerful reminder of the impact that climate change has on the country’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Her testimony, like the testimonies of so many others, reflects the harsh realities of a world where children are forced to shoulder the consequences of environmental destruction.

Bridget stands not only as a survivor but as a symbol of resistance, a child who refuses to let her future be stolen by forces beyond her control.

“We need to strengthen climate action and save children,” she pleads.

Her words carry the weight of a generation fighting to secure a future on a planet that has begun to fail them. At the heart of Bridget’s testimony is a call to action. The scars of Cyclone Freddy will remain with her forever, but they are also a reminder that there is no time to waste. As the world faces the escalating crisis of climate change, it is the voices of children like Bridget that we must listen to. The future is theirs to inherit, and their courage and resilience demand that we act, now, before more children lose their homes, their families, and their dreams.