Back Melody’s voyage! From Ogoniland Nigeria to COP30 in Brazil—sailing for climate justice across the Atlantic.
A message from Melody
Hi, I am Melody Gold Barry-Yobo from the Ogoni community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. I will be traveling by sailboat across the Atlantic to attend the next UN Climate Conference (COP). I represent the voices of the marginalized, oppressed, and indigenous people of Ogoni, who have suffered from exploitation and environmental pollution caused by large corporations like SHELL.
At COP 30, I demand accountability and transparency from world leaders, particularly those in the global north, to ensure that climate finance is effectively managed. I insist that oil must remain in the ground, and we reject new fossil fuel projects in Ogoni and the Niger Delta region. When oil flows, the soil bleeds.
If you want to support activists and indigenous people like me at COP and help amplify our voices, please consider supporting this crowdfund.
About Melody
Melody is an Environmental Justice Activist, Climate Education and SDGs development and knowledge facilitator; Peace and Gender Activist, Poet & Leadership Mentor from Bari, Ogoniland, Nigera. One of our volunteers has offered her space on Sababa for Melody to join us! Our ambassador Jyoti Fernandez MBE (La Via Campesina), has strong links with Melody, the Lekeh Development Foundation (which Melody volunteers with) and the Ogoni struggle. Jyoti and Melody will be sailing on Sababa with us.
About Lekeh Development Foundation
During this voyage and at COP we will be working on a just transition and claiming for loss and damages for grassroots organisations.
Flotilla4Change partnered with Lekeh Development Foundation early this year. Here is a talk Melody gave in spring.
More about the movement
Flotilla4Change are organising a fleet of boats to sail to Belem in Brazil, providing sustainable, wind-powered travel and accommodation for the crucial COP30 climate conference this November. We want to ensure frontline communities reach COP30 climate conference. Support Flotilla4Change in providing sustainable travel & accommodation.
COP30 comes at a crucial time in human history, a point of no return for climate change, biodiversity loss, and human suffering. As it stands, the communities experiencing the worst impacts of climate change might not be able to afford to travel to Brazil for COP30, get accommodation there, and represent themselves and their communities. Real change can only be driven by those communities, whose voices must be heard.
It's vital that lived experiences of food insecurity, deforestation, industrial pollution, sanitation, forced migration, flooding, conflict, and other crucial issues are not overlooked by policymakers.
We need your help!
As well as COP30, people sailing to Brazil with the Flotilla will be able to attend the People's Summit, an Amazonian Indigenous-led gathering to form alternative proposals rooted in land rights, food sovereignty, and health justice. This will help to push the conversation of mainstream politics towards better outcomes for all people.
The boats provide not only travel and accommodation, but a forum for connection, discussion and solution-building, part of a networked advocacy campaign for climate justice, food system change, and sustainable travel that aims to have a lasting legacy. The more diverse the crews and passengers, the more vibrant, vital, and resilient their impact can be!
F4C applied for UK charity status earlier this year, but it was unsuccessful - and we have no core funding. After generous donations enabling us to get Melody aboard s/v Sababa, there is still a £3,500 shortfall as of 26/09/2025).
This project successfully funded on 29th October 2025