Story

“Joining this climate champion network has been an inspirational experience,” says Marwa Deeb as she beams with self-belief. “My community listens to me, they believe in my power and my skills. I’m helping people find the solutions that suit a particular situation or landscape or place. I’m a climate leader now.”

DOT’s Climate program has taught Marwa valuable lessons about the power of youth engagement, community collaboration and leadership. “I now know that I can be a leader in my community,” says the 24-year-old English teacher and architect student. 

Before getting involved with DOT’s Climate program in 2023, Marwa didn’t really understand the science behind climate change – she just knew there was a problem. “I started noticing changes that were impacting my family and neighbours so my curiosity about the climate crisis grew,” she recalls. 

“We used to have hot summers in our village, but recently, the weather has got more extreme and unpredictable. Our neighbour’s whole tomato crop barely survived the recent drought because of scarcity of water and prices at the market have more than tripled. The rising cost of food puts a strain on my family’s grocery budget and for young people like me, the job market is drying up just like the fields.”

The abstract idea of climate change has become a direct threat to Marwa’s community so she felt compelled to learn more and take action. When she joined DOT’s Climate program to serve as a Climate Champion, she started travelling for four hours on the bus each day for a month from her village of Deir Dalloum in northern Lebanon to the city of Jal Al Deeb. Everyone told her she was “crazy” but she has no regrets.  

Marwa has learnt how to relate the issues her local community faces directly to climate change. “Through DOT’s climate curriculum, I learnt the science behind what’s happening, how climate injustice affects us and how to deal with communities as a whole – to recognise and understand the problems around me and start to help lessen the effects of climate change here in Lebanon. It’s not just about me finding a job or coping with more expensive food bills.”

Thanks to the climate curriculum, she can convey statistics that illustrate the gravity of the climate crisis and share real life examples where solutions are being successfully translated into action. She loved discovering how Amsterdam is adopting ‘doughnut economics’ to build a circular economy by 2050. “That community is building resilience and they are working together to solve the problem. That’s what I want to do here in Lebanon,” says Marwa, confidently. 

A strong sense of community is the driving force for her climate work. “Thanks to DOT’s Participatory Action Research toolkit, I have changed from a confused observer into a prepared advocate ready to stand with my community, help them discuss their problems openly and be united in finding a solution that works for us.”

The people she works with are “brimming” with ideas for a green future and Marwa uses her creative mind and sustainable building knowledge to develop suitable solutions, as she explains: “Together, we are tackling issues like food waste, water scarcity and garbage. I started collecting food scraps in a bowl in my kitchen and we can use this food waste to produce organic compost for trees and other plants, we’re harvesting rainwater to use for irrigation in my university garden and on farms, and we’re collecting plastic litter in bundles to sell back to supermarkets for recycling.”

“The people I speak to have lots of questions – they wonder why their crops didn’t grow and they want to know more about climate change,” says Marwa, who appreciates that digital technology can amplify climate action. “Most people here use social media as a tool to find out information, share ideas or inspire other people with examples from elsewhere. I think we can create a huge wave of action for the future using digital technology.”

For Marwa, the highlight is seeing communities take ownership: “People roll up their sleeves and start making a difference right here and right now. We don’t just talk, we act.” Ultimately, her main goal is to safeguard everyone’s future sustainability: “I want to protect my family, my community and also give the children I may have one day a greener future.”