In FY24, Planet Women gave a grant to Legado for Futuros Vivos: Megantoni-Machiguenga, a collaboration with the Indigenous Peoples and local communities stewarding Megantoni National Sanctuary and Machiguenga Communal Reserve in Peru.

Three important ecoregions come together in the Megantoni-Machiguenga: The Amazon rainforest; the Yungas on the steep, cloud-forested mountain slopes; and the high-elevation grasslands and shrublands in the Andes mountains. The region is home to endangered jaguars, spectacled bears, six types of macaws, and tapirs, among other important species, including deer, wooly spider monkeys, and thousands more.

Over three years, Legado and its partners facilitated their community-led planning and collective action to ensure a “Thriving Future” for people and nature. As you can hear about in the video above, Legado’s “360° Community-Led Change” approach looks at development and conservation priorities in a holistic and intersectional way—and gender equity is a key element of their process.

Thanks to Planet Women’s support, Legado has begun the Thriving Futures process in the village of Saniriato, activated community members into new leadership roles, and trained representatives from the Megantoni National Sanctuary and Machiguenga Communal Reserve teams.

As Abraham Patiño Huamán, the President of the Governing Board of Saniriato, stated towards the start of the Thriving Futures process: “We all know our pasts and present but now we are learning about what we each want for our future.”

Saniriato is a rural community with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous residents. Located in the district of Echarati, Saniriato is part of the Megantoni National Sanctuary’s buffer zone. Legado is working with local community members as they articulate their legacies and their vision for the future. By taking an inclusive approach and centering those with traditionally underrepresented voices, such as women and youth, Legado is supporting the entire community to design and implement solutions of their choosing.

In Spring 2024, Flor Zuniga Tipe, a young woman born in the Matsigenka Indigenous community of Monte Carmelo, stepped into the Community Coordinator role of Legado’s women-led team. She has worked alongside the Saniriato community as they plan for their Intercultural Community Legacy Plan, with an eye on her personal goals when she returns to her own community:

“During my time working with the Futuros Vivos initiative, I have been in my element. I am learning a lot from the entire team, especially growing in confidence and in overcoming challenges. All of this is helping me to grow as a person and feel more empowered to be able to achieve my goals and help my community in the future as a new community leader.”

Flor and the rest of the Futuros Vivos team have dedicated themselves to relationship-building at a village-to-village level in the Megantoni-Machiguenga landscape.

Underpinning the achievements with the Saniriato community has also been the activation of local working groups that are responsible for recognizing and formalizing the creation, implementation, and integration of Intercultural Community Legacy Plans in local and regional planning. In December 2024, Legado will complete and celebrate the plan with Saniriato community members, and start implementation.

Marina Usca, an active resident of Saniriato, was also motivated to participate in the Thriving Futures process and share her vision and role towards shaping the future: “I really like to participate and be part of the different organizations in Saniriato. I was president of the board and currently am the treasurer of the Housing Association, because I feel that through these spaces, I learn a lot and I can do a lot for others and for Saniriato. I am involved in the education of my children, that is why I actively participate in the Parents Association, where I am also treasurer. Children are fundamental for our development as a people and its welfare in the future.”

When women lead, they help entire communities overcome poverty, and lead the way to improve children’s health, climate resilience, and cultural preservation. That is exactly what Marina and so many other women in Saniriato are ready to take on.

We appreciate Legado’s dedication to ensuring that Indigenous and local communities, including women and youth, lead the efforts to protect their well-being and vision for the future.

Support this important work by making a donation today. Your gift supports women leaders who are stewarding forests, rivers, and biodiversity. Give today.