2012 Community Solutions Leaders: Environmental Issues

The distinguished 2012 Community Solutions Leaders come from 28 countries worldwide to build their capacity to lead community interventions and to share their expertise with community organizations in the U.S. Leaders build on their local experiences and forge cross-cultural bonds, becoming even more effective agents of positive change in their home countries.

Community Solutions Leaders focus on one of the following four areas: Tolerance/Conflict Resolution, Environmental Issues, Transparency and Accountability, and Women's Issues.

Environmental Issues

	Ishmael Kumwenda, Malawi Alamo Area Council of Governments Ishmael Kumwenda is the Project Manager at Better Life for All, providing community trainings on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and food security. Kumwenda develops implementation strategies for rural development projects that aim to induce self-reliance among people in rural communities. Kumwenda plans to develop a regional food action plan to look at the barriers, assets, and opportunities for food security in the Northern Region of Malawi.
	Peter Mazingaliwa, Malawi iMatter Movement As the National Coordinator for the Malawi U.S. Exchange Alumni Association, Peter Mazingaliwa focuses on raising awareness within communities about the threats of climate change and adaptation techniques available to meet those challenges. He plans to unite youth in the fight against climate change by conducting a series of  dialogue sessions to empower them to actively participate in the planning and implementation of interventions through existing local structures.
	Landry Mayigane, Rwanda Ecotrust Landry Mayigane is a Poultry Specialist for the Government of Rwanda, working on projects that promote safe poultry production and rural support farmers to fight food insecurity through small scale poultry production. He has also been a leader of the African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, and founded the Rwanda Youth Alliance for Climate Actions. He will focus on building the capacity of youth and vulnerable communities for food security and climate change adaptation.
	Moses Sanga, Uganda Clean Energy Coalition Chief Executive Officer of Eco-fuel Africa, Moses Sanga, works on issues related to clean energy, the environment and economic empowerment. He is an inventor of biochar, leveraging agricultural waste to sell clean cooking fuel, and contributes a portion of Eco-fuel’s profits to planting trees in Ugandan communities battling deforestation. He was a 2012 TED Fellow and plans to focus on enabling more energy poor Sub-Saharan Africans to access clean cooking fuel made from agricultural waste.
	Nicholas Kaponda, Zambia Cultivating Community As the Director of Communications at the New Dawn Non-Formal School, Nicholas Kaponda provides information on conservative farming, integrated farming, and entrepreneurship development to local subsistence and small scale farmers. He advocates for their rights to local and national policy makers and plans to focus further work on conducting seminars for subsistence, small- and medium-scale farmers on integrated sustainable farming and agribusiness.
	Xolile Ncube, Zimbabwe Southern Climates Impacts Planning Program Xolile Ncube is a Research Officer at Christian Care, a non-profit organization involved in agricultural research. She educates rural communities on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. She plans to increase her organizations’ efforts to raise awareness on climate change and promote methods of adaptation, as well as engage communities in integrating traditional disaster early warning systems  with modern technology.
	Theofrenz Cayambas, Philippines Sustainable Travel International As the Strategic Planning Advocacy and Research Coordinator at Enggana, Theofrenz Cayambas is involved in initiating changes by promoting innovations for community-based ecotourism projects and improving disaster management skills. He uses social media tools to promote ecotourism and to link remote localities with tourists from urban areas in the Philippines and overseas. Cayambas plans to promote ecotourism and conduct outreach in mountain community schools.
	Maria Gonzales, Philippines Great Basin Reource Watch As a Research Consultant on Policy Land Information for WWF-Philippines, Maria Gonzales conducts field research on land policies and conservation. Previously she worked with local government units, community leaders and youth to disseminate information on resource conservation. Gonzales intends to contribute to the implementation of information and educational campaigns on the sustainable use of available natural resources and potable water resource management.
	Marco Perez-Navarrete, El Salvador Victory Garden Initiative Marco Perez-Navarrete works for the Permaculture Institute of El Salvador, promoting sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty. He works with community leaders and governmental and non-governmental institutions to create networks and policies that support communities across the country. He plans to support development of permaculture learning centers, creating a more sustainable way of living, and teaching new generations how to protect the environment.
	Rodrigo Ponce, Peru Wholly H2O Rodrigo Ponce is the founder of Eco Aldeas Peru, a community based ecotourism and agro-tourism value chain development in the Peruvian Upper Amazon. He implements educational travel projects connected to permaculture, traditional agriculture, community development, environmental protection and rural education, and plans to build a demonstrative sustainable water management permaculture system with the participation of local grassroots organizations.
	Angel Chitrakar, Nepal CNT Energy As a Program Officer at Environmental Camps for Conservation Awareness, Angel Chitrakar is involved in community mobilization and development, promotion of sustainable energy technologies, and the implementation of school environment improvement programs. Chitrakar plans to promote alternative energy technologies, particularly solar lighting systems and improved cook stoves in rural regions of Nepal.
	Brinda Dewan, Nepal Eco-Cycle As a Nature Interpreter for Wildlife Conservation Nepal, Brinda Dewan has developed and conducted interactive awareness activities on various environmental themes, and developed and conducted trainings for environment teachers on how to use these activities in the classroom.  She plans to develop herb and vegetable gardens at schools to create awareness about their benefits and how they are being adversely affected by climate change.