Founded over three decades ago, local Paraguayan nongovernmental organization Fundación Paraguaya started as a small office with just seven employees. Today, it has a workforce of 440 individuals spread across 28 offices in Paraguay, as well as a satellite office in Tanzania.

I use a quote in my email sign-off that’s a blend of others. It encapsulates what I’ve seen over the years: “Helping a community help itself might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for that community.”

Just outside Nairobi National Park, down a bumpy, dusty road, sits WildlifeDirect’s Wildlife Warriors Field Lab. While currently the camp is composed of several temporary structures and tents, WildlifeDirect, a Kenyan non-governmental organization, has a vision: to use the power of filmmaking, media, and education to shape the next generation’s attitudes and behaviors around Africa’s environment and wildlife.

A Q&A with Michael Heflin and Stephen Leonelli on the Alliance for Global Equality What is the background of the Alliance for Global Equality? [Stephen Leonelli] The Alliance for Global Equality is the outcome of nearly two years of co-creation with Outright International and the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute.

One thing all of us in development and humanitarian work know is that when it comes to crises, it’s not a matter of if, but when. In recent years I’ve learned that one of the best ways to prepare for crises is to build strong, trusting relationships with local partners. Fortunately, USAID has a new resource to help us do that. The Agency’s Local Capacity Strengthening Policy is helping us forge stronger, more equitable local partnerships so that we are better prepared to respond when the inevitable happens.

“USAID is not a speedboat, we are a freighter,” states USAID/Zambia Supervisory Contracting and Agreement Officer Mike Capobianco, or “Capo” as his colleagues call him. Noting the long history of localization efforts that have been underway at USAID for years under various names, he acknowledges that the shift toward working directly with more local partners is challenging for a large agency like USAID.

I’ve been working to strengthen local capacity in Malawi for my entire career. And after witnessing too many missed opportunities, I have to say that I am now so excited about the Local Capacity Strengthening Policy.

Happy Earth Day! We have selected 10 organizations from the WorkwithUSAID.org Partner Directory to highlight the positive impacts locally-led development can have on the environment. We aim to celebrate these organizations that serve as inspiring examples of what can be achieved when people come together to work toward a common goal.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting with a local partner team and talking with them about their goals. I asked, “Why are you doing this work? What do you want to achieve?”

Tucked amidst rice terraces and forests lining the hills of Tublay, a municipality of Benguet in the Philippines’s Luzon island, stand the training center and offices of Alay sa Kapatid Foundation (AKAP).