Who is the Legacy Foundation? Legacy Foundation is a non-profit (501c3) organization established in 1999. Legacy Foundation’s mission is to promote sustainable human development and preserve our environment through the integration of technology innovation, media, and management. Working in cooperation with over 60 NGO groups worldwide, LF supports development and extension of low cost biomass briq
uette-making technology for small-scale entrepreneurs and community groups. The organization’s primary focus is to support local groups, especially women’s groups, to become totally self sufficient in the briquette production activities – increasing income while saving time and labour. In the same context, briquette production conserves the environment through less dependence on fuel wood for cooking and/or heating. LF is currently working with current, active associate briquette projects in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Haiti, Nepal, Cambodia, China, Mexico, India, Iraq, Slovenia, Hungary, Fiji, Nepal and most recently in Guatemala providing comprehensive training, online technical assistance, encouragement and networking connections. LF considers its greatest accomplishment to include:
a. the development of regional networks of briquetters while providing timely and thorough technical assistance to all on-line requests. the self-reliant development of training capacity by those LF has trained. the support for social entrepreneurs who increase their income through briquette production
LF’s key focus is on the development of self sustaining, self reliant, income producing small businesses of briquette producers and trainers. In order to accomplish these goals, Legacy Foundation provides several services:
a. Manuals: Legacy Foundation Training Manuals provide comprehensive technical guidelines which allow the user to start and develop a complete biomass briquette project. The manuals include all of the technologies required to make briquettes as well as theory and applications for the biomass briquette technology. Training: Legacy Foundation has trained producers and trainers all over the world and now is networked with many groups of qualified briquette trainers. For example, Legacy Foundation trained a group of producers in East Africa in 2007, and then after they had some experience in the production and selling of briquettes, Legacy Foundation returned in 2009 to train these producers as trainers. There is now an extensive network of trainers in East Africa so that when Legacy Foundation receives requests for training in that part of the world, we are able to refer these requests to trainers in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. This training has led to the development of a wide network of briquetters, with each new group joining and adding to the growing knowledge base about biomass briquettes. From a small project in Malawi in 1994 there are now active briquetters in over 40 countries worldwide, all taking small steps to save the environment while improving their own livelihoods. Media / Communication
In order to create mass awareness for environmental problems and demonstrate solutions, LF relies heavily on media promotion through photography, film, videos, multimedia, and the Internet. We believe that only when people are fully aware of the scope of a problem, are they able to participate in creating solutions. LF partners with Peter Stanley to do the photography for the projects, allowing for sensitive and thorough documentation of the process. Visite www.photopoa.com and especially the short photo essay about the trainers in Lushoto www.photopoa.com/ecofuel. Mike Stanley Productions, a multi- faceted production facility, provides film and video support to the Legacy Foundation media projects. The principals of MSP and LF have created over 15 environmental and community awareness videos for such clients as the United Nations, Red Cross, USAID and the European Union. Visit www.mikestanleyproductions.com for a complete list of credits and services. LF has a five-person board, two of whom provide full time support to the organization. Part time staff are hired as required by a project; Though not directly connected to LF, we would consider our more than 25 associate indigenous briquette making groups world wide to be LF partners (estimated at more than 500 members and growing daily! ).
