KarunaNews Story

More than a dozen people gathered for Nigeria’s first climate cafe at the offices of SustyVibes, an NGO founded by 31-year-old Jennifer Uchendu as part of The Eco-Anxiety Africa Project. As only 3 in 10 Nigerians have heard of the climate crisis and local Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa languages lack words for it, SustyVibes works across the breadth of Nigerian society. It also hosts training sessions for African mental health professionals, and offers free climate-aware psychotherapy to SustyVibes members. Says elder Sola Alamutu, who runs a green festival promoting environmental issues through art, dance, drama and music, says the cafe is a “safe space for us to talk about the emotions that [climate change] brings.”