AYNF reshaped how I engage in climate governance by adding strategy and diplomatic understanding to my justice-centered advocacy. Before the fellowship, I spoke from values and lived experience; after AYNF, I could also engage with a stronger grasp of treaties, negotiation processes, and the historical realities shaping Global North–Global South climate relations.

AYNF strengthened my work as a climate communications professional by helping me move from advocacy-only engagement to informed climate governance participation. Through the fellowship, I gained a clearer understanding of the UNFCCC architecture, COP negotiation processes, and the political dynamics behind climate commitments.

AYNF gave me a practical entry point into climate diplomacy. Through the fellowship’s structured learning and negotiation simulations, I gained a clearer understanding of how climate negotiations unfold, how national and regional interests are shaped, and how youth can strategically engage in decision-making spaces.

AYNF changed the way I show up in climate governance spaces. The fellowship helped me understand how negotiations actually move, where young people can intervene meaningfully, and how to carry African priorities with clarity. That shift became real when I contributed to Article 6 discussions in Baku and later to Global Stocktake work in Belém.