While early motherhood, youth unemployment, and climate change intersect, young leaders in the country are finding opportunities to engage proactively by empowering communities.
With a strong legal background that has shaped her approach to governance, accountability, and climate justice, Clemesia Barnabas (29) founded Green Moms Agro Initiative (GMAI) in 2025 to build resilience, dignity, and economic agency through climate-smart action and collective responsibility.
“Namibia continues to face a high number of young women becoming mothers at an early age, often because of teenage pregnancies and gaps in family planning access, support, and education. I have seen firsthand how many of these young women are required to navigate adulthood, caregiving, and financial pressure all at once, often without structured opportunities or sustained support,” she said.
Barnabas stated that climate change and unemployment intensify these challenges.
“I saw how environmental vulnerability and economic exclusion often intersect in their lives. This is why I felt there was a need for something practical, an initiative that not only speaks about empowerment, but intentionally creates space for young mothers and other youth to build skills, dignity, and economic agency through climate-smart and community-based action,” she said.
At the community level, GMAI focuses on simple yet impactful actions such as water-efficient farming, soil improvement, tree planting, and small-scale food production. Barnabas said these are not abstract concepts but practical tools that young people can apply in their own environments.
She added that the goal is to gradually establish demonstration spaces where youth can learn by doing, while also contributing to local food availability and environmental care.
“Training in climate-smart agricultural practices, leadership and community engagement experience, mentorship and peer learning, exposure to broader climate and development discussions, guidance in exploring small-scale agro-based income opportunities is some of the interventions we will be embarking on. More than anything, they gain confidence, the belief that they can contribute meaningfully to their communities,” she highlighted.
Hailing from Outwilo-Ondobe in the Ohangwena region, she grew up across different spaces in Namibia, which gave her a deep appreciation for both urban and rural realities, and this experience continues to shape how she approaches community development.
“From the beginning, I knew this initiative could not be limited to one region or one group. Climate change affects all of us, and in different ways, due to our geographical backgrounds, whether in rural farming communities or urban settlements. Inclusion was therefore not an afterthought; it was foundational,” she said.
Barnabas indicated that one of the priorities is to empower young mothers, who often balance caregiving, financial pressures, and personal growth simultaneously.
She said: “GMAI recognises that reality. The initiative is designed to be supportive and flexible, creating space where young mothers are not judged for their circumstances but supported to build skills and leadership capacity. The training provided is not only practical instruction; it is a form of education and skills upscaling that equips them with knowledge, confidence, and competencies that strengthen both their personal development and economic prospects.”
For further information, the initiative invites young and student mothers, youth, community members, volunteers, and professionals to join a growing movement advancing climate action, food security, and women-led community empowerment via email greenmomsagroinitiative@gmail.com