When the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) was founded in 2014 in Accra, Ghana, by Joshua Amponsem and Desmond Alugnoa, few could have imagined how far its vision would travel. What began as a small initiative has since become one of Africaโs most dynamic youth-led movements for environmental sustainability.
Today, that movement has firmly taken root in Botswana, where it is rewriting the script of climate action and youth empowerment.
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The story of GAYO in Botswana began in 2022, when environmental advocate Bokang F. Basejane recognized a glaring gap. Despite being the majority of the population, young people were absent from the countryโs climate decision-making spaces.
Climate policy was written in boardrooms, but its impact was felt most acutely in communities. Waste piled up in towns and villages, renewable energy was underdeveloped, and graduates struggled to find jobs in the green economy. For Basejane, the solution was clear: Botswana needed GAYO.
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โI knew our young people had the energy, the ideas, and the willpower. They just lacked a platform,โ Basejane reflects. โEstablishing GAYO Botswana was not just about starting another NGO. It was about creating opportunities, changing mindsets, and building resilience for our future.โ
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Since its establishment, GAYO Botswana has directly empowered over 500 young people. At the countryโs universities, Eco-Clubs have become hubs of innovation and action. More than 100 students are now actively engaged in projects ranging from recycling competitions to permaculture gardens, with at least ten new sustainability initiatives launched in just the past two years. These clubs are producing leaders who will shape Botswanaโs future green economy.
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Waste management has been another defining battleground. Through its Zero Waste Campaign, GAYO Botswana has led quarterly clean-up drives attracting more than 300 volunteers per event. At Kgale Hill, a popular recreational site, the organization unveiled a two-metre awareness board warning litter offenders of penalties and urging visitors to protect the environment.
Thousands of people have been reached through these campaigns, and partnerships with local councils are spreading the message into schools and communities. Globally, GAYOโs Zero Waste Model won the 2024 Earthshot Prize, and Botswana is now positioning itself to replicate that success by diverting thousands of tonnes of waste from landfills by 2030.
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On renewable energy, the impact is equally striking. In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone and the international organization 10 Billion Strong, GAYO Botswana launched the Developing Renewable Energy Leaders in Botswana program. Already, 35 young people have been trained in solar power, green entrepreneurship, and climate policy, with several graduates now moving into jobs and start-ups in the renewable sector. For a country pursuing energy diversification, this is building the skilled workforce that Botswana urgently needs.
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The work has not stopped at training. GAYO Botswana has taken bold steps into policy advocacy, launching the Youth Climate Council earlier this year to ensure that young voices are heard at national and international levels.
The council is already building a database of climate leaders across districts, laying the foundation for youth to be recognized as equal partners in shaping Botswanaโs adaptation strategies.
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Botswanaโs climate leadership is also being strengthened at the highest levels. President Duma Gideon Boko was recently appointed to the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) Board, joining world leaders in steering international climate adaptation efforts.
This appointment brings Botswanaโs voice into one of the most influential global platforms on climate resilience, complementing the work being done on the ground by GAYO Botswana and its partners.
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Basejaneโs determination has also drawn global attention. Through GAYO Botswana, the country now serves as the In-Country Focal Point for the Youth Adaptation Network under the Global Center on Adaptation, linking Botswanaโs youth to international opportunities and resources. Vulnerable groups, including women and low-income households, are at the centre of these efforts, with many participants earning less than P4,000 a month being prioritized for training and income-generating projects.
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The results are undeniable. Eco-Clubs are grooming a new generation of climate leaders, Zero Waste campaigns are transforming community attitudes, renewable energy training is equipping youth for green jobs, and policy advocacy is placing Botswana firmly in the global climate conversation.
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None of this would have been possible without the foundation laid by GAYOโs founders in Ghana, Joshua Amponsem and Desmond Alugnoa. Yet it is equally important to recognize the relentless work of Bokang F. Basejane, whose leadership, vision, and resilience brought the movement to Botswana.
By mobilizing youth, forging partnerships, and standing firm in the face of challenges, he has ensured that Botswana is no longer a spectator in the fight against climate change. Instead, its young people are leading from the front.
