Mentoring stories

• A University of Sussex alumna has been included in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Africa list in recognition for her contributions to the social impact and sustainability industry.
• Fatou Jeng studied a Master’s of Arts in Environment, Development and Policy (School of Global Studies; Faculty of Social Sciences) at the University of Sussex in 2020/21. She founded Clean Earth Gambia, one of the biggest youth-led NGOs in The Gambia working on addressing climate change through climate education, awareness and advocacy.
• Fatou was also appointed as UN Climate Advisor and led the YOUNGO (UNFCCC Youth and NGO Constituency) Women and Gender Working group from COP23-COP27.

Fatou Jeng, a University of Sussex alumna has been included in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Africa list in recognition for her contributions to the social impact and sustainability industry.

The daughter of a farmer and native of Banjul, a city at risk of sea-level rise in The Gambia, alumna Fatou Jeng has always been passionate about climate change at a very young age seeing how climate change impacts vulnerable communities.

Fatou studied a Master’s of Arts in Environment, Development and Policy (School of Global Studies; Faculty of Social Sciences) at the University of Sussex in 2020/21.

She has worked as a climate professional for 10 years, having been appointed as a United Nations Climate Advisor to provide policy advice and guidance to the UN Secretary on youth issues relating to climate change, and sitting on the UN Early Warning for All Advisory Panel representing young people to ensure the protection from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027 for everyone.

She also led the YOUNGO (UNFCCC Youth and NGO Constituency) Women and Gender Working group from COP23-COP27 leading their policy submission on the Gender Action Plan and Lima Work Programme on Gender, working with institutions like the Malala Fund and Global Partnership on Education.

Fatou is the International Empowerment Manager of Plant-for-the-Planet Foundation, a global movement empowering young people and organisations to restore forest ecosystems and fight for climate justice. Over the past years, the foundation has empowered 100,273 ambassadors worldwide, planted 31,158,324  across its global projects and approximately 1.3 billion hectars of land are currently under FireAlert observation amongst other projects.

Fatou’s advocacy for gender inclusion in climate action at COP26 was influential to the UK’s £165 million funding to advance gender equality in climate action.

Fatou is also the founder of Clean Earth Gambia, an organisation which started with zero funding and now is one of the biggest youth-led NGOs working on addressing climate change and environmental destruction through climate education, awareness and advocacy, nature-based solutions and the intersection of gender and climate change.

Clean Earth Gambia partners with the Gambian government, Banjul City Council, UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA and others to empower and support small-scale farmers, children, young people and women. Over the past years, Clean Earth Gambia has impacted over 40,000 people, planted over 35,000 trees across Gambia and promoted climate education amongst vulnerable groups across the country.

Clean Earth Gambia hosted the first National Children and Youth Conference on Climate Change in partnership with UNICEF and The Government of The Gambia in 2024, mobilising children, adolescents and young people to engage in dialogue with policymakers on key issues impacting the country.

Fatou said: “This moment is more than a personal milestone, it is a celebration of a journey rooted in struggle, service, and a relentless commitment to justice. I was born in Banjul, The Gambia, a city at risk of sea-level rise and a daughter of a farmer. I saw the impacts of climate change long before I had the words for it, on our land and livelihoods.

“This recognition by Forbes Africa is a reminder that African youth are not waiting to be saved. We are the ones saving. Building. Leading. We didn’t wait for the world to take us seriously, we are taking the lead to advocate for justice, action and equity! We fought for climate justice when few listened. We refused to be invisible.”

Professor Geert De Neve, Head of the School of Global Studies at the University of Sussex, said: “We congratulate Fatou on her remarkable achievement, which is testament to her hard work in tackling climate change and its impacts on African communities. We are immensely proud of our alumni and all of their accomplishments, Fatou is making an important positive impact on the world and we wish her even more success in the future.”

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