This July 35 African and North American Next Gen’s converged in Mozambique for the 2015 Lost Mountain Next Gen Symposium. For us, a Next Gen is any young person who pursues their passions for driving positive change, exploring this great planet, forming new connections, and creating lasting impact. They are students and young professionals working on the hard issues of our time with big dreams about our global future.  Read on for the Next Gen Voice Blogs:

Start one woman on her Legacy Journey todayMeet Naomi—one of the women leading enduring change in her communityThis Fall, Legado is asking friends and donors to launch one woman on her Legacy Journey to lead powerful, enduring change in her community—a woman like Naomi. $250 is all it takes. Naomi Paranai grew up in the Nyekweri ecosystem, patches of dense ... Read More
Supporting the integral relationship between pastoralists and rangelandsA young boy walks where the Nyekweri forest meets the Maasai Mara rangelands, home to iconic wildlife such as the giraffe | Roshni Lodhia/Legado/TPPIndigenous Peoples still steward many of the world’s most biodiverse landscapes. This relationship between land and people has created an intimate knowledge of the environment—knowledge that is key to mitigating ... Read More
Bringing Thriving Futures to the ancient forests of Indonesian BorneoLocal people work toward land restoration in Indonesian Borneo | Planet IndonesiaIn August 2024, Legado officially began working with our newest partner, Planet Indonesia. Our work together will take place in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan, located on the island of Borneo. This is Legado’s first partnership in Southeast Asia, ... Read More
Native plants restoration promotes both environmental and people’s healthForest landscape near Mount Namuli, Mozambique | Roshni Lodhia/LegadoOn the hills surrounding Mount Namuli grow dozens of species used in Lomwe traditional medicine. Medicine is mostly made from small plants or the bark, roots, and leaves from trees. For example, Tuthuli (pega-pega) leaves are crushed and mixed with fresh water to give ... Read More
Ngilai Health Training: Integrating modern and traditional birth practices to ensure safe and culturally relevant health careCommunity members with Walter Lenolngenje (right), Thriving Futures Program Coordinator in Northern Kenya, outside the completed maternity shelter in 2022 | LegadoIn 2021, community members in Ngilai, Northern Kenya, came together to create their Legacy Plan. One of their priorities centered on community health, ... Read More
How Community-Driven Change leads to holistic, sustainable, equitable actionNabukoki Lekominga, a Community Health Promoter from Nkokoyoi Village, maps out her vision for her legacy in Ngilai, Kenya | Legado“Earlier, projects came dictating what the community needs, but now it’s changing. We feel in charge of identifying our needs and developing a plan.” This quote comes from Richard Newman Lenaseyan, a ... Read More
Dr. Alaka WaliCentering women is a core tenant of Legado’s 360° Community-Led Change approach—and a critical part of advancing climate justice in places important for biodiversity, many of which are stewarded by Indigenous and local communities. In this Q&A, Legado Board Member, anthropologist, and Curator Emerita at Chicago’s Field Museum Dr. Alaka Wali shares why centering women is absolutely crucial ... Read More