Feature story
Sebwa is deaf and speaks Kenyan Sign Language. She says, “Growing up as a partially deaf person, I come from a community where voices are often overlooked or silenced. I decided to be the change. While writing this poem, I wanted to speak up for the environment and simultaneously encourage other voiceless people to share their stories.”
Sebwa’s poem opens the World Council of Churches’ Hope for Children Through Climate Justice handbook, which helps churches with legal tools to hold financial organisations to account for funding fossil fuel projects. Sebwa was the youngest member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation to the COP climate talks in Dubai.
An English musician, Helen Williams, read the poem and was moved to put it to music for congregations and schools to sing, with this songsheet.
WCC partners in the Netherlands, Bas van Nienes and René Dufry, then recorded it, so it is a truly international Kenyan-British-Dutch composition. Charles Mullis from the Presbyterian Church in North Carolina in the USA loved the song, and produced a version for school wind orchestras, taking Sebwa's message of faith to more new audiences.
The music video makes it more international still, filmed in Masiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa, at Touch of Eden Academy, featuring the Grade 6 class of 2026 under the guidance of their teacher, Tinashe Mugumisa.
The children were invited to hold signs displaying words that inspire hope, speak life, and remind us of God's promises. These words point beyond present struggles in a community with significant challenges, declaring that light is stronger than darkness, love is stronger than fear, and hope remains even in the hardest places.
“I was deeply moved when the WCC central committee sang ‘The Path of Justice' as a rallying call launching the Ecumenical Decade of Climate Justice Action in Johannesburg, in June 2025,” says Frederique Seidel, senior programme lead, Children and Climate, at the WCC. “Now I’m praying that many denominations and partners will also be moved by it, and will hear the challenge of our children calling us to protect them throug this decade. I hope they find Hope for Children Through Climate Justice a useful tool to put that into practice and plan their own legal approaches to stop banks from fueling the climate emergency .”
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Nature scenes from the music video "The Path of Justice", shot by filmmaker Bas van Nienes in South Africa.
WCC
“The scenes of creation throughout the video reflect the beauty and wonder of God's handiwork,” says Bas van Nienes, musician and filmmaker. “They remind us that creation declares His glory and calls us to care for one another and to be faithful stewards of the world He has entrusted to us.”
“I feel very happy that the message is reaching every corner of the world," says Sebwa. “I hope that churches will be inspired to take action to protect the environment, support children, and promote climate justice for a better future.
“I would tell bank leaders to invest their money in projects that protect the environment, create jobs, and improve people's lives,” Sebwa adds. “Their investment decisions can make a big difference for the future of children and the planet.”
The video launch follows the first legal action towards a bank’s investment in fossil fuels, by churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Together with investment and ecumenical partners they submitted a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct concerning HSBC Holdings plc and its financial relationship with Glencore, the company operating the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia.
Sebwa attends Kambui School for the Deaf. “My call to action is let us work together, take care of the environment, and we, as the deaf kids, are here and ready to support that,” she said to the Global Children’s Climate Summit, back in 2023. Her words have travelled a long way.
“Financial powers, vast and strong
We call them out when they go wrong
For with our faith, we fight for right
A spark against the darkest night.”
From The Path of Justice. Full text here
Watch the music video for the song “The Path of Justice”
Listen to the song “The Path of Justice”
Sign the open letter supporting churches’ legal action about the Cerrejon coal mine: WCC invites churches, communities to support call for responsible finance, climate justice | World Council of Churches
Learn more about the Churches’ Commitments to Children and Climate-Responsible Banking
