Mission

The Mission of the Legacy Foundation is:

to promote sustainable human development and preserve our environment through the integration of technology innovation, media, and management. The Legacy Foundation is currently active in the USA, Malawi, Kenya, Peru, and Haiti.

Additional research and field extension is supported through active collaboration with Engineers without Borders, Colorado University (Boulder, Colorado), Southern Oregon University (Ashland Oregon), Venter Forestry Services (Pieternmaritzburg, South Africa) and several colleagues through the Crest Stoves and Crest Biomass Newsgroups, globally.

Activities

Technology Innovation

The Foundation has direct experience with development and application of a variety of technologies including: solar heating systems, rural and village water supply, wind energy, rural transportation, and low cost housing.

Our current work is to develop a micro-enterprise-based briquetting technology, which converts non-productive agricultural residues, yard wastes and junk mail into economic and environmentally sound heating and cooking fuel for families and communities in developing countries and the USA.

In developing nations, the briquettes are sold in the open market as a less expensive alternative to fuelwood. Briquette projects provide employment, especially to women, while saving the environment.

In the USA, the emphasis is on research and development of a technology for families and community to turn their junk mail into a useable fuel including the development of a compact, efficient briquette making machine. The Legacy Foundation is also testing emissions from the briquettes to ensure environmental compliance.

Media / Communication

1. Videos
In order to create mass awareness for environmental problems and demonstrate solutions, we rely heavily on media promotion through 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. Legacy partners with Goat Tea Productions, a multi- faceted production facility, to provide videos and new media projects. The principals of Goat Tea and Legacy have created over 15 environmental and community awareness videos for such clients as the United Nations, Red Cross, USAID and the European Union. Visit Goat Tea Productions for a complete list of credits and services.

2. Information Training Centers
There is little doubt about the widening gap between rich and poor, about the increasingly crowded cities and the abandoned rural villages in the third world. At the same time there is a growing presence of telecommunications resources, including cel phones, internet and fiber optic networks. In taking advantage of these events, Legacy has embarked upon an ambitious and unique development program designed to give a self-sustaining voice to the rural areas.

The process starts with combining tailored database software with conventional email, backstopped by radio modems and cellular phone technology. Then, under the direction of a locally trained three person communications team, the needs and resources of the rural poor can be organized more efficiently and cost effectively and allow them to better communicate with each other.

The Information Training Centers will provide:

Market information to the farmer, enabling them to optimize their pricing, wholesale purchasing and transportation to the market.

• Affordable technical assistance and training at cost to groups of interested rural citizens on a scheduled basis.
• Effective and accountable access for humanitarian and emergency relief.
• It is through such a program that Legacy Foundation encourages a reverse migration to rural areas which is not subsidized but rather driven by market and natural social forces. The goal is to see population and resources better balanced and the quality of life improved in the new global village economy.
  Legacy Foundation believes such centers can be sustained on a franchised basis, once initially capitalized and operated for 12 months.

Consulting / Management

Legacy Foundation principals are regularly requested to provide assistance in technology innovation, training, participatory development, planning, program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

They have worked with the United Nations Development Program, The Swedish International Development Authority, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, USAID, the World Health Organisation, Plan International, CARE, the European Union, the Red Cross and numerous non-government and private institutions.