​Bupe Kibiki is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania Youth Desk and a Medical Laboratory Scientist in Njombe, Tanzania. After witnessing the impacts of landslides in her neighborhood caused by prolonged droughts and heavy rains, Bupe felt compelled to join the Certificate in Climate Justice and Faith program so she could better help her community deal with the impacts of climate change. 

For her Sacred Action Project, Bupe sought to educate students in her region about the effects of climate change and mobilize them to be proactive in protecting their communities. Bupe created a team with four other young adults from other Christian denominations to design and implement a project titled, “The Stewardship of Creation Project”. Working together allowed the team to present at Lutheran and Catholic schools in their town – building ecumenical relationships and broadening their reach.

The team realized that they needed to have an opportunity for students to begin practicing what they learned right away to help students internalize the lesson. In partnership with a local NGO called Kilimanjaro Environmental Preservation, Bupe and her team brought native trees for students to plant in their community. These native trees hold soil in place and are one of the best methods to reduce the risk of landslides. 

To encourage students to take responsibility for the trees, they gave the trees to children who were celebrating their birthday on the day of the presentation. These students each received a “Birthday Tree” that they were responsible for planting and caring. This creative framing celebrated the tree as a gift and a responsibility for these children. Bupe hopes caring for these trees will help students understand how all of Creation is both a gift and a responsibility.

Just a few days before she presented this project, another landslide killed three of Bupe’s neighbors just one block from her home. Bupe shared that this tragedy has inspired her to continue this project with more schools in her community. She’s just getting started.