grantees » Hilma Angula

Hilma is a young Namibian with exceptional leadership qualities. Before receiving the JWH Initiative grant, Hilma was already an aspiring environmental leader. She worked at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and co-founded and coordinates the Namibian Youth Coalition on Climate Change (NYCCC). She has been instrumental to NYCCC in mobilizing youth groups to take action against climate change through nationwide pilot projects.  Further, she is a member of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication, where in 2012 she helped facilitate a training session on communication and conservation. Those who know Hilma all agree that her vibrant personality is motivational and inspiring to her peers.

Hilma used her JWH Initiative grant to complete her Bachelor’s degree on Natural Resource Management at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa. Her work there allowed her to gain an international perspective on issues concerning community development, financial management, research methodologies and ecology. Aside from her studies, Hilma was a very active member of the university community as member of the Nelson Mandela Green Campus Society. She now has contacts of other youth leaders in countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland and Malawi. She reflects saying that, “Being able to work with these youth and learn about what they do in their countries motivated me so much as a youth advocate that with just a little effort, you can touch someone’s life, you can make a difference.”

Recently, Hilma joined the Conservation Leadership Program at World Wildlife Fund office in Namibia as a trainee and continues to expand her network among top experts in the field of natural resource management. She aspires to complete her doctorate and continue her work with youth groups in Southern Africa. She says, “We need to drop the habit of complaining because things were not done for us, and be more passionate, innovative and creative to come up with our own solutions to the problems we see!” The passion and wisdom in her words certainly shows she is on a path to becoming a successful Namibian environmental leader.