Posts by equator2017

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA TANZANIA) is a youth-led non-profit founded in 2020, working to restore Tanzania’s marine ecosystems and empower coastal communities. Covering 5,000 hectares and engaging 695 people, SOA TANZANIA leads innovative, community-driven conservation projects like the UN Ocean Decade-endorsed Grass Underwater Project, restoring over 100 hectares of seagrass meadows, and planting 20,000 mangroves across 5,000 hectares in Bagamoyo. Through its Ocean Bootcamp, SOA TANZANIA has trained over 130 young leaders in marine conservation and climate resilience. The Bahari Venture trains women and youth in sustainable seaweed farming, promoting livelihoods and ocean health. Prioritizing gender equality and youth leadership, SOA TANZANIA combines ecosystem restoration with sustainable development, driving impactful, scalable nature-based solutions that contribute to climate action, biodiversity conservation, and resilient coastal communities.

Nature and People as One (NaPO) is a women- and youth-led Indigenous organization in northern Kenya empowering pastoralist communities to restore and steward their dryland ecosystems. Through its flagship Ramat Model, NaPO combines traditional ecological knowledge with low-cost restoration techniques to regenerate degraded lands, particularly in the Mt. Marsabit ecosystem. Over 550 hectares have been directly restored and 10,000+ hectares sustainably managed under community governance. NaPO trains Ramat Champions—local elders, women, and youth—to lead restoration efforts, enforce bylaws, and build community resilience to climate change. Their Herder Conservation Network uses GPS tools to monitor biodiversity, while the NaPO Conservation Cup engages youth through sports and ecosystem restoration. NaPO’s locally rooted governance, strong intergenerational collaboration, and inclusive participation make it a model for scalable, community-driven climate action.

Founded in 2018 in Teertha, Karnataka, India, the Bibi Fatima Self Help Group (SHG) is a women-led grassroots initiative transforming rural livelihoods through sustainable agriculture, women’s empowerment, and climate resilience. Starting as a savings group of 15 women, it now supports over 5,000 farmers across 30 villages, promoting millet-based multi-cropping, solar-powered processing units, and seed banks conserving 250+ indigenous varieties. These efforts restore biodiversity, boost food security, and create jobs for marginalized women and youth. By integrating traditional knowledge with regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and market access, the SHG addresses environmental and socio-economic challenges. Its decentralized, scalable model, replicated across Indian states, empowers women as agripreneurs and strengthens dryland farming systems. Partnering with groups like SELCO and Devadanya FPC, Bibi Fatima SHG exemplifies how nature-based, community-driven solutions can advance climate action and equity from the ground up.

Founded in 2016 in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, the Ranu Welum Foundation is a women- and youth-led Indigenous organization empowering Dayak communities through a blend of traditional knowledge and modern technology. Its work spans forest conservation, disaster resilience, cultural preservation, and youth empowerment, operating through four departments: Academy, Community, Conservation, and Media. Signature programmes like Youth Act Kalimantan and the Kalimantan International Indigenous Film Festival have mobilized over 1,000 youth, protected nearly 3,000 hectares of forest, and reached 500,000 people annually. The foundation has pioneered Indonesia’s first haze shelter, restored peatlands, conserved biodiversity, and trained women firefighters, while its storytelling and conservation models have influenced policy and inspired replication across scales. Grounded in community ownership and inclusive governance, Ranu Welum is a leading force for Indigenous-led sustainable development in Kalimantan and beyond.

Mitra BUMMA is a women-led Indigenous initiative in Tanah Papua that works with Indigenous Peoples (groups) to create community-run enterprises (BUMMAs) that protect 100,000 hectares of rainforest while supporting local economies and tribal governance. Providing governance support, technical services, and capital, Mitra BUMMA helps communities manage non-timber products, ecotourism, agroforestry, and carbon projects rooted in traditional ecological knowledge. The initiative has empowered 3,000+ people, increased incomes, protected endangered species habitats, and ensured gender-inclusive leadership, with 40% of staff and 30% of leaders being women. Its replicable model blends customary law with modern systems, positioning Indigenous Peoples as climate finance leaders and stewards of nature-based, equitable solutions to the global climate crisis.