How Community-Driven Change leads to holistic, sustainable, equitable action
Nabukoki 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.”
Salaya Leneemi (center) alongside other community members from Murit Village work together to help define community priorities in Ngilai, Kenya | Legado
What is Community-Driven Change—and why does it matter?
Community-Drive Change, which we call 360° Community-Led Change, is a non-negotiable for all of Legado’s programs, a core belief that grows stronger every day.
The report describes CDC as “a process whereby communities actively participate in, lead, and own the identification, design, and execution of solutions for the challenges they face.”
Unlike conventional development approaches, where outsiders and “experts” take the lead, community-driven approaches engage communities in setting their own priorities, building their own partnerships, and “elevat[ing] the local knowledge and lived experiences already in communities, granting them the power to make decisions about their futures.”
CDC also prioritizes engaging and elevating historically marginalized voices in community decision making, advancing more equitable community action.
The results of this type of approach are unequivocal. Organizations that prioritize CDC, like Legado:
- Facilitate a shared vision and collective ownership
- Strengthen community leadership
- Spur increased community involvement and equity
The ultimate result is that outcomes—for both people and the landscapes they call home—tend to be more holistic, sustainable, and equitable.
360° Community-Led Change at Legado
If you know Legado, you know we are deeply committed to Community-Driven Change. Our 360° Community-Led Change approach powers everything we do:
- We start by activating Legacy: all action is built on the legacies community members want to see for themselves, their communities, and their landscapes
- We take a holistic view of priorities: Community members consider every aspect of their lives and well-being when determining what actions to take
- We take a 360° view of inclusion, particularly by centering historically marginalized voices such as women and youth
Read why centering women is essential for holistic climate justice by clicking the button below.
The result is Thriving Futures: sustainable change driven by the knowledge, wisdom, and expertise that already exists in Indigenous communities. After working with Legado, communities often gain access to existing governmental and nonprofit support, activating an ecosystem of action with local people at the helm.
We are ecstatic to see the shift toward Community-Driven Change across the development sector, and proud to be a leader in this movement.
Want to learn more about 360° Community-Led Change—and how you can be a part of it?
Email Majka at majka@legadoinitiative.org to chat.