Maguette Ba, a young climate activist, advocates for a clean environment in her home country of Senegal. At 23, she wants to protect natural resources, raise awareness among young people and propose solutions suited to African realities.
She’s young, but as she jokes, “my name means old lady”. However, the paradox is only apparent because “in my culture, it reflects wisdom, attentiveness and commitment to one’s loved ones”, she explains.
This interpretation of her first name has become a philosophy of life: although she is young, she acts with a level of commitment and vision that transcends her age. Her commitment to the environment is also a tribute to this inherited wisdom. By taking action to protect the planet, Maguette honors not only past generations, but also those to come.
A commitment born in school
At the age of 15, Maguette discovered the urgency of climate change. A course on the impacts of climate change, accompanied by a documentary, marked a turning point. “I realized that something serious was happening and that we had to react,” she recalls.
She then joined an environmental club at her high school and became involved in an ecological management project. This initiative, supported by partners such as the European Union, inspired other schools to adopt similar practices. “It was from there that I wanted to extend my commitment beyond the school,” she says.
The environment has become Maguette’s focus. “In Dakar (Senegal’s capital), in December, we no longer have the coolness we used to know. The changes are visible.”
She also cites the salinisation of land in southern Senegal, which is impoverishing the soil and which- among many other social and economic consequences, increases the risk of young girls being forced into early marriage. As agricultural lands are gradually lost to salinisation and crop yields dwindle, families are forced into survival strategies, including giving their daughters’ hands in marriage to suitors who, as social expectations, go, are to take better care of them and their families.
She also mentions plastic pollution and the garbage that invades beaches, despite a national law banning single-use plastics. “Without concrete alternatives or political will, this law remains a dead letter”, she says.
For her, the solution rests in getting young people more involved. “If we give them the necessary tools, they will not only be able to find economic alternatives but also participate in protecting the environment.”
Working with UNICEF: a life-changing experience
In 2022, Maguette was appointed as a Youth Advocate by UNICEF Senegal. This role gave her a platform to speak out on important issues, such as the impact of climate change on girls’ education. Speaking at the United Nations in New York during the Summit of the Future in September 2024, she shared the story of a Senegalese teenager who lost her life fetching water in the Ferlo region, Senegal’s main arid region marked by limited water resources and rare, unpredictable seasonal rains.
“I see it as an opportunity to improve my skills. I hope that in the future, our expertise will be better valued”, she adds.
Maguette has had to deal with cultural resistance in her work. She tells the story of a family head in the Matam region in the north of the country, who objected to the planting of trees in the family yard because the trees’ survival potential was greater than his own life expectancy. “These beliefs show the importance of going out into the field, listening, and raising awareness with concrete examples,” she explains.
She stresses the importance of a respectful, educational approach. “Sometimes we need to show how other countries, or even nearby regions have overcome these challenges while respecting our own local beliefs.”
Maguette aspires to see the emergence of an African environmental activism detached from Western models. “We’re often compared to Greta Thunberg, but our realities are different. For example, we have the sun and land rich in potential, but we lack the resources to exploit them sustainably.”
She is working with other young activists to develop solutions adapted to local contexts. “We want an African model that reflects our realities and priorities,” she asserts.
A legacy for future generations
Maguette’s motivation comes from her desire to leave a legacy. “I don’t have children yet, but I want them to be able to enjoy the trees I’ve planted. It’s a way of showing them what I was doing with my time and inspiring them to do the same.”
In 2024, she launched an environmental communications agency called Kéw Gi Agency.to provide training and support in corporate social responsibility. “This year, the idea is to create a common narrative for environmental protection: to federate and promote green actions and initiatives,” she says.
Through her commitment, Maguette shows that tackling environmental challenges is possible while inspiring young people to act. Her vision is clear: to create a future where natural resources are protected, local beliefs are respected, and African youth are placed at the center of positive change.
