Cape Town's climate activist is on a mission to making a change in the world.
Ayakha Melithafa is one of the 16 teenage petitioners who presented a landmark grievance to the UN to protest the lack of government action on the climate crisis on Monday.
The petitioners gathered in New York to participate in a press conference hosted by Unicef, introducing the petition and their demands.
According to Earth Justice, Melithafa, 17, alongside Swedish protester Greta Thunberg and 14 others, will be participating in the Global Climate Strike and various other events including Climate Week, the UN Climate Action Summit, and the UN General Assembly.
“People who are older aren’t paying as much attention because they will not be as affected. They don’t take us children seriously, but we want to show them we are serious,” said Melithafa.