Patience Nabukalu: Leading the Fight for Climate, Biodiversity, and Human Rights

By BigEyeUg Team

Name: Patience Nabukalu
Date of Birth: June 15, 1997
Place of Birth: Kampala, Uganda
Contact: nabukalupatience@gmail.com
Phone: +256705132117
Social media: Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn

Profile

Patience Nabukalu is a dedicated climate, biodiversity, gender, and human rights activist from Uganda. As the leader of Fridays for Future Uganda, she has championed the voices of women and marginalized communities in the Global South who are disproportionately affected by climate change. Her work emphasizes the need for those most impacted by environmental crises to be at the forefront of the solutions.

Patience has played a pivotal role in grassroots campaigns, notably leading efforts against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). Her activism contributed to convincing several key investors to withdraw their support for the project after strategic advocacy and negotiations.

Her passion for climate justice is rooted in a belief in equity and representation, and she frequently raises local issues on international platforms. Patience has a wealth of experience in program coordination, advocacy, and grassroots mobilization, and is committed to advancing the empowerment of African women in the global fight against climate injustice.

Advocacy and NGO Roles

International Advocate and Organizer, Fridays for Future (Apr 2020 – Present)
Coordinator, Fridays for Future Uganda (Apr 2020 – Jan 2023)
Advocate, Fridays for Future Africa and MAPA (Jan 2023 – Present)
Campaigner, Climate Action Network (Oct 2023)
Campaigner, Avaaz (STOP EACOP) (May 2023 – Jul 2023)
Campaigner, 350.org (Jun 2023)

Key Campaigns

STOP EACOP Campaign (2021 – Present)
INSURE OUR FUTURE Campaign (Oct 2023)
Founder, STOP WETLAND DEGRADATION Campaign (Apr 2020 – Present)
Advocate, END PLASTIC POLLUTION Campaign (2020 – Present)
Organizer, Ugandan Tree Planting Campaign (Apr 2020 – Present)
Educator, Climate Education in Schools Campaign (2022 – Present)

Conferences and Events

Patience has represented her country and the climate justice movement at numerous international conferences, including:

Bonn Climate Conference ’24 (June 2024)
COP28 in Dubai (November 2023)
Africa Summit in Nairobi (September 2023)
COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh (November 2022)
COP26 in Glasgow (November 2021)

Media Appearances

Patience’s activism has gained international attention, and she has been featured in:

New York Times (2023): Countries on Front Lines of Climate Change Seek New Lifeline in Paris
Amazon Documentary (2023): Climate Change: The World’s Most Dangerous Show
Financial Times (2021): Young Activists Harness Social Media to Fire Up Global Campaigns

Skills

Campaigning, organizing, and mobilizing
Advocacy and negotiation
Media spokesperson
Climate and biodiversity education
Social media strategy

Education

Certificate in Flight Operations (2019 – 2020), Ninety Nines Flying School, Nairobi
Uganda Advanced Level of Education (2014 – 2016), Lubiri Secondary School, Kampala