Malizingira is a network movement that officially launched in early 2022, but the seeds of its origins were first sown back in 2019, when Tearfund held a movement bootcamp in Nairobi, Kenya, encouraging community leaders and activists to join together and begin tackling climate issues as a collective. The network therefore represents, and works through, a number of different spheres across society, from education and the business community to churches and local government, and this diversity has already proven to be a great strength of the movement.
The network’s members are spread far and wide across Kenya, too, allowing the group to share learnings and stories of success with each other from around the country. Already, for example, Malizingira has partnered with bodies such as the Kenya Wildlife Society and Kenya Forestry Services to support each other’s work on conserving Nigeria’s rich natural landscape and environment.
"The movement is made up of people with different skill sets; lawyers, priests, activists, and many more. And so when we come together and look at the issues that we have in our country, we get some really unique solutions and perspectives on how to deal with some of these problems." Dennis Nthenge
The climate crisis has already impacted Kenya in a number of ways, diminishing food security for example, as more rainfall becomes less predictable, and drought more common, across the country. Malizingira seeks to raise awareness about these links between the climate emergency and poverty, challenging governments, churches, and other decision makers to consider how environmental degradation is already hurting those at the frontlines of the crisis.
While COVID had stalled some of the Malizingira network’s initial groundwork, the movement is now growing in number and influence, supported by funding to strengthen and build some of the work it is doing across the country. The movement hopes to continue to raise its message with more media and social media traction, alongside developing strong relationships with various key strategy partners and decision makers across the country to bring about greater climate action.
Dennis Nthenge is a priest at the Anglican Church of Kenya, currently serving as Chaplain to the church’s Archbishop. He is also the coordinator for the Green Anglican movement in Kenya and chair for Malizingira, operating as the focal point for the Renew Our World national expression within the country.
