We, the Junior Council, are committed to transform our community as young leaders and we have agreed on the following commitments: 

1.    Capacity building: we should inform people about issues of climate change, children’s rights, and other societal issues. We commit to doing more awareness-raising, outreach programs to schools, churches and other facilities, sensitization, among other things.

2.    Climate action: we are committed to implement the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 – The Africa We Want. These are important programs for us, and climate action is at the centre of them, because climate change is something that threatens our future and everything in the society. 

3.    Waste Management: we will ensure that waste management is a priority for this community. Proper implementation of waste management policy should benefit both the community and environment. We ask the municipality to support us in providing necessary equipment for us to do clean-up activities and recycling.

4.    Food security: we understand that food security is the most important issue that must be dealt with as a matter of emergency, because of increasing unemployment and other factors. We are committed to fight poverty in our community, we will implement food security plans by doing food gardens at our homes, churches, and schools. We also demand the municipality to make food security priority number one, and invite young people to be part of actions to combat poverty.

5.    Just Transition: we have learnt about the just transition to green and renewable energy future, we do not want to miss out from this process. We have made a commitment to pilot a solar power projects in our schools, libraries and clinics, because clinics need electricity more than any other facilities in the community. We ask the municipality to support this plan by providing necessary equipment. If this can be done very soon, we can rescue our community from loadshedding.

With these commitments and others, we want to make a friendly community and environment where our fellow young people and community at large, can have opportunities to live healthy. We would like to appreciate, His Excellency, the Mayor, the Municipal Manager and all officials from the department of Community Services, Director Mrs Ntombela, Mrs Khumalo, Samkelisiwe Mthembu, Samukelisiwe Mkhize, Lindokuhle Mpungose, and Sthembiso Ndwandwe, We also appreciate members from Landkreis Reutlingen, Save the Children, and the South African Youth Climate Change Coalition.