LEAVING a favourable and enduring impression on people’s minds speaks volumes about a nation, especially with so many places in the world to choose from. Well, that is the case with the young climate change activist, Ismachiah Oduwole, who, after leaving Guyana’s shores, has described the country “as the most spectacular” he has visited for his climate soccer ball project.

A teenager’s dream to save the world is being realised by sending a football around the world to be signed by major international leaders, businessmen, and athletes.

Marriot Hotels was the initial company to sign the climate ball, with CEO Anthony Capuano committing his company to continue its fight against climate change through global initiatives. The ball received its second signature from Peter Ingram of Hawaiian Airlines at their corporate headquarters in Honolulu. JA Resorts, the biggest hotel resort in the UAE, was also privileged to sign the climate ball in Dubai. After JA Resorts, the FedEx CEO, Raj Subramaniam, signed with a specific pledge, led by their sustainability project called “Priority Earth”.

During a recent visit to Guyana, the 13-year-old climate change activist was gifted a trip to Kaieteur Falls, the largest single-drop waterfall in the world, by His Excellency, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.

Despite the tendency of many adults to turn a blind eye to the urgent issues surrounding our changing environment, a child’s viewpoint can be all it takes to spark change. Ismachiah Oduwole and his climate ball are travelling the world to prevent future disasters and encourage people and businesses to take action.

Ismachiah pursues his goal of getting world leaders, corporate partners, athletes, and other prominent individuals to sign his “climate change balls,” pledging to have a positive impact on the environment for a cleaner and better future.

Ismachiah, who lives in Los Angeles, California, told the Guyana Chronicle, in an exclusive interview, that he went to the world’s largest cruise line company, Carnival, and Holland America (Carnival Corporation), to have his climate balls signed by the officials there. He asserted that when the president of the cruise line company, Jan Swartz, asked him which location was the most spectacular he had been to, Ismachiah said, “Guyana.”

The activist said, “In an intimate ceremony, Jan Swartz, the President of Holland America, which owns Princess Cruise, P&O Australia, Seabourn, and Alaska Cruise, and in her capacity as the director of all Carnival Corporation’s sustainability initiatives aboard all 90 vessels the group owns, met with and signed my climate ball on behalf of the entire group.”

Ismachiah further stated that when Ms. Swartz asked, “where has been the most impressive place my climate and sustainability ball has travelled to? I said Guyana. I couldn’t help but recall and share my experience of being in Guyana with her. So, I told her of my visit to Kaieteur Falls and how it was a gift from President Ali.” Ismachiah also related to the Guyana Chronicle that his main reason for visiting Guyana was to meet with the leader of the “most sustainable South American country” and have him sign his climate ball.

“I came to Guyana last month because I was doing some research for my climate soccer ball project, and I learned that the country was the most sustainable South American country. So, I wanted to recognise them in the world and meet President Irfaan Ali, to sign my climate ball,” said Ismachiah.

Additionally, the teen activist said that after he related the story of his visit to Guyana to Ms. Swartz, she told him that Guyana would definitely be added to her bucket list as one of the places that she would visit someday.

Earlier in August, Ismachiah and his father paid a visit to President Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Upon his visit with the president, Ismachiah explained the reason for his visit and why he had chosen to have him sign the climate ball. With President Ali having a significant international voice on environmental protection and climate security, he was impressed with Ismachiah’s initiative and gifted him and his father a trip to the Amazon rainforest so that he could experience one of the wonders of the world, the majestic Kaieteur Falls.

After returning, Ismachiah told the Guyana Chronicle, “my visit with President Ali was great; I told him about my mission and what got me into it, and he also signed my climate balls. Apart from that, President Ali offered my dad and me a trip to the rainforest, where I got to see the largest single-drop waterfall in the world, the Kaieteur Falls. I also got a chance to see the lush green forest. I would like to thank him for the experience and the gifts.”

He went on to say, “there are four reasons why I picked Guyana: the first reason is that Guyana is selling carbon credits because of its large rain forest; the second reason is that by selling carbon credits, Guyana is slowing down deforestation; and it is also contributing to absorbing carbon dioxide.”

He continued: “My third reason is that Guyana has a full-proof programme for the citizens so that they can learn about the cause and prevention of climate change. The fourth and final reason why I chose Guyana is because Guyana is exploring hydroelectricity, which is when water is used to produce electricity.”

In his quest for a cleaner and better world for humanity, the 13-year-old activist spoke to the people of Guyana, especially the children, saying, “It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can make a difference. Ensure that you dispose of your garbage properly, and a simple gesture can go a long way. We can all make the world a better place. I went to Africa with my family, and I saw single-use plastic on the floor, and I thought to myself that the plastics were supposed to be in the trash and not just lying there. That’s when I decided that I wanted to do something to protect the climate and the earth.”