Through Lynthia’s Eyes: A Vision for 2026

Standing at the dawn of 2026, the echoes of a young voice from Makira Province continue to reshape the climate conversation. It has been mere months since Lynthia, a 12-year-old from the Solomon Islands, completed her week-long journey to the halls of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Today, her mission has evolved from a single moment of advocacy into a roadmap for children and youth’s climate action across the Pacific.

Supported by World Vision, Lynthia transformed diplomatic jargon, such as “Loss and Damage,” into a truth that global leaders could no longer ignore. “For us, it is not a debate. It is our lived reality—our homes washed away by saltwater, our food gardens destroyed,” she stated, grounding the summit in the tangible fragility of daily life.

In 2026, the story she shared at COP 30 remains our call to action. She described the wooden walls of her home growing weak from relentless rain and how extreme heat stifles her classroom. For Lynthia, adaptation is a "backpack” needed for survival, and she insists it must be filled with “knowledge and education” on planting trees, saving water, reading the weather, and building community resilience.

“My dream is to become a doctor. But to heal the world, we must first heal the land,” she shared. In 2026, this vision is guiding a “transition of learning,” where children are taught the wise stewardship she practices in their own school garden, where they plant pumpkins, green peppers, green cabbages, and watermelons.

Lynthia’s journey proved that children on the frontlines do not need adults to speak for them; they need the platforms to speak for themselves. She left world leaders with a demand for honesty that still resonates in 2026: “Adults should tell the truth about how bad climate change is and take responsibility.” She translated existential threats into undeniable human terms, reminding the world that what is given to the earth is what will be received. As she returned to Makira, she carried that same vision back home.

World Vision remains committed to the locally-led, child-centred advocacy Lynthia embodied. As we move further into 2026, the responsibility lies with us to ensure that the global community doesn't just remember her words but acts upon them. The world leaders have seen through her eyes; now, we must ensure that the "backpack" of every Pacific child is filled with the resources they need to thrive. The time to protect her future is now.

This article was prepared with contributions from World Vision South Asia and Pacific interns: Harvey Josh Fernandez and Mary Rose Caliag, BS Development Communication students from Central Luzon State University, based in the Philippines.