Please, tell us a little more about yourself and your life. What are your interests?
I am Ruth Pamela Vilca Tomaylla, I am 13 years old, and I am part of the Maqta Chuya children and youth network, as well as a national delegate of Redinjuv. I am in the 1st grade of secondary school and I really enjoy life. I am a cheerful, fun-loving girl who enjoys spreading positive energy to others.
My interests are closely tied to my work as a leader and member of the network, where I focus on environmental care. I am passionate about contributing to the well-being of Mother Earth by promoting ancestral practices that respect and foster a greener future for coming generations.
I believe that a positive and collaborative environment is key to inspiring change.

General Comment No. 26 has been in effect since September 2023. How important is it for your work?
It is important because it reaffirms the right of children and adolescents to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and to participate in its protection, ensuring that our voices are heard and respected. This comment acknowledges and promotes our crucial role as agents of change in the fight against the environmental crisis, reminding us that our participation should be respected and encouraged in decision-making processes that affect us. Additionally, this comment reinforces our right to be protected in the context of climate change, which aligns with our advocacy work as leaders, ensuring that our voices are considered in the creation and approval of environmental and sustainability policies.

What are the most important environmental and climate change issues for children in your community, country, or region?
The most important issues for children and youth related to the environment and climate change are:
•    Active participation in decision-making: Children and youth must play an active and leading role in decisions that affect their future and surroundings.
•    Climate justice: Children and youth are the most affected by poor environmental decisions made today; this impact threatens their entire lives and those of future generations. It is crucial to promote climate justice and awareness, ensuring that policies and actions consider the rights and future of new generations.
•    Environmental protection: Through active participation, children and youth can play a significant role in protecting the environment and combating climate change.
•    Right to live in a healthy environment: Health is the most important issue for children and youth, which is why their environment must be safeguarded and protected. Authorities must ensure that the voices of children and youth are heard when making environmental decisions that affect them.

Can you share a notable activity for children and youth being carried out in your community or country to help or protect the environment?
As part of the Global Action Month activities, we are organizing ecological walks to the rainwater lagoons in Chiara, where we bring energy and joy to the nurtured waters. We are also planning an awareness-raising activity in the city of Huamanga, which we will carry out together with other children and youth networks.
These initiatives clearly show how children and youth from different countries are taking various actions and running campaigns aligned with sustainability goals and their right to a healthy environment, as outlined in General Comment No. 26.
These activities also strengthen the bond between children, youth, and Mother Nature, empowering them to continue being active defenders of the environment in the future.

You are working hard to protect the environment. Do you have a personal dream that inspires you?
Yes, my dream is to see future generations from all countries grow up in a clean, healthy environment where environmental care is an integral part of people’s daily lives. I also dream of urban and rural communities working hand in hand on biodiversity conservation projects, and for children and youth to have a strong voice and a significant impact on today's society, influencing environmental decision-making.