My childhood in nature was pure magic
I grew up in a small kampung surrounded by rivers, trees, and waterfalls. My grandma raised me while my parents worked. Every evening, my cousins and I ran wild outdoors – catching fish, climbing trees, and playing in the mud. That childhood in nature shaped who I am.
Dragonflies flew past our heads. Birds sang at sunset. The sky was always clear. Nature wasn’t something we visited. It was home.
Then everything started to change
As I got older, I got distracted by development. The internet got faster. More shopping malls popped up. I loved it. I stopped going outside.
Even when the days were super hot, I stayed inside with the air-cond. I didn’t care about the heat, the trees, or the river anymore.
But slowly, I started to notice the change. Flash floods happened more often. The air felt hotter. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw a dragonfly. The birds were silent. My childhood in nature started to fade – and I realized we were losing something important.
My childhood in nature felt like a distant memory.
Why I joined the Climate Movement
That’s when I knew I had to act. I joined the Green Voices of Borneo. We’re a group of Indigenous youth from Sabah who speak up to protect the environment and our culture.
We’ve seen how climate change affects our communities and our daily lives. We know it’s caused by unchecked development and human activity. And we know we must be part of the solution.
From memories to action
The Green Voices of Borneo is part of UNICEF’s global initiative to bring youth voices to climate spaces like COP21. We’re telling our stories, mapping environmental changes, and calling for action.
My childhood in nature taught me to love this planet. Now, I’m using my voice to fight for it – for myself, for my community, and for future generations.
GET THE FACTS >> Climate and Environment
