Ulfi, a young woman from West Manggarai, Indonesia created Nipu Laha Gami to protect traditional foods in the face of globalized cuisine. A youth-led initiative that preserves ancestral knowledge, strengthens food sovereignty, and creates opportunities for the local community.
Ulfi embodies the values of Urban Futures: resilience, cooperation, and respect for the land. Discover her story via the link in bio.
#UrbanFutures
When family and indigenous food regenerate life.
Nomagugu Chieza, inspired by Indigenous wisdom and the strength of her family, founded Impilo Organics in Zimbabwe. A company that produces organic food and cosmetics to nourish the community not only physically, but also in conscious way.
More than a business, Impilo is a life project that educates, inspires, empowers, and promotes organic agriculture that respects biodiversity and life. Because every act of caring for the earth is an act of love for humanity.
When we care for our community, we build a fairer and healthier future for all. Nomagugu and Impilo embody the values of the Urban Futures program: resilience, cooperation, solidarity, and respect for the environment and cultural heritage.
👉🏾 Learn about her story and the stories of others who nurture our relationship and dependence on the earth via link in bio.
#UrbanFutures #FuturosUrbanos #FoodSystems #SustainableFood #YouthLeadership
Meet Alfredo Guamaní and learn how gastronomy strengthened his identity and inspired him to found La Chala, a community store in Ecuador, along with his network of young people. La Chala supports local agro-ecological producers, guaranteeing a fair and consistent price for their crops. It eliminates intermediaries and opens doors for rural youth.
“I imagine La Chala as a platform that connects urban and rural areas, fostering more personal relationships between producers and consumers.”
This is an inspiring story, and above all, one that encourages more young people to organize and propose solutions to global challenges.
Alfredo and La Chala embody the principles of the Urban Futures program, empowering youth and recognizing them as drivers of change. Learn his story and the stories of others who are returning to the countryside to transform it.
👉🏽 Check out the link in bio
#UrbanFutures #FuturosUrbanos #FoodSystems #SustainableFood #YouthLeadership
🌱 Only when you get involved can you transform your community.
For Eugine Mubika, agriculture must be strategic, technological, sustainable, and connect us to our roots. From Cosma Agro Solutions in Zambia, Eugine and other young people are promoting a smart agriculture model that offers education and training to families and communities to identify spaces for installing simple hydroponic systems.
In this sense, hydroponics not only preserves nutrients and protects the environment, but also creates a space for innovation with an immediate impact on people’s lives.
This model increases food availability when there is no access to land. It contributes to regenerates and builds a community that makes another tomorrow possible. This project embodies the essence of the Urban Futures program. It promotes resilient food systems, empowers youth and encourages healthy and sustainable consumption.
👉🏾 Learn about his story and the stories of others who are transforming their communities via the link in bio.
#UrbanFutures #FuturosUrbanos #FoodSystems #SustainableFood #YouthLeadership
A new world is not only possible, it’s already happening 🌱
Discover the story of Natalia Luna and her work to innovate how food is produced, processed, and distributed in Colombia. And how what seemed like a utopia (fair prices, stable incomes, reduced waste, and authentic relationships) became a reality.
Natalia is part of the @csacolombia (Community Sustained by Agriculture) network, a production model designed to improve food quality and care for the land, plants, and animals. This model creates a bond between those who cultivate and those who eat. A relationship of mutual care that fosters resilience and shared responsibility.
The future is not a distant promise, but an active possibility cultivated with proximity, commitment, purpose, and a sense of belonging.
The Urban Futures program empowers young people like Natalia. Leaders who emerge from their communities and integrate knowledge, history, and innovation to transform systems from within.
👉🏽 Learn about her story and the stories of others who demonstrate that a better world is already happening via the link in bio.
#UrbanFutures #FuturosUrbanos #FoodSystems #SustainableFood #YouthLeadership
What if education were built with young people, not just for them?
This year's #InternationalDayofEducation theme, 'The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education', invites us to reflect on education as a human right, a public good, and a shared responsibility.
Young people are growing up in a time of profound change, including climate uncertainty, digital disruption, and social and economic pressures. Yet many public education systems remain largely unchanged.
In a new blog, our Education Portfolio Lead, @Ross Hall, reflects on what this means for public education and why the wellbeing, agency and holistic development of young people must move from the margins to the centre of how education systems are designed.
Drawing on insights from young people, educators, and innovators, the blog considers what it takes to recognise young people as active contributors to their own learning.
As we share this reflection ahead of the International Day of Education, we are proud to contribute to the conversation about reimagining public education with and for young people.
👉 Link in story!
As we step into 2026, we are energised by the opportunity to deepen our work with and for young people to promote their wellbeing. 🎆
The momentum built in 2025, through partnership and shared purpose, guides our next steps and inspires our focus for the year ahead.
Wishing you all a purposeful and impactful start to 2026.
Here’s to shaping brighter futures for young people together. ✨
En 2025 reafirmamos que fortalecer el liderazgo juvenil es crear espacios reales para participar, proponer y transformar. Desde Manta Mía, junto a FARO, impulsamos habilidades para la vida y acompañamos proyectos liderados por jóvenes, apoyando ideas que nacen desde sus propios territorios que convirtieron a Manta en un escenario vivo de participación, organización y acción juvenil. Porque cuando la juventud se activa, Manta late más fuerte ❤️
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re stepping into 2026 with renewed clarity, stronger alignment, and a deepened commitment to young people’s wellbeing.
In our final blog of the year, our Board Chair, Elsbeth Müller, and our CEO, Andrea Studer, reflect on 2025 and share a conversation about how a year of consolidation, dialogue, and learning has helped us build meaningful momentum for the future.
They speak candidly about the journey of our philanthropic work, the critical role of involving young people in their own wellbeing, and the shifts needed to advance our work in 2026.
Read their conversation and find out about the steps we’re taking into the new year - link in story!
As we approach the end of 2025, we’re reflecting on a year of learning, refinement, and progress. ✨
This was a year of strengthening how we work; focusing our efforts where they can have the greatest impact for and with young people.
We've taken important steps towards supporting liveable city systems, a rights-based digital future, global prioritisation of mental health and stronger partnerships for public education, all to enable the wellbeing and rights of young people around the world.
Thank you to our team, partners, and collaborators for your commitment and insight. 🤝
Together, we’re shaping pathways for young people's wellbeing — and we look forward to what’s ahead in 2026.
At Fondation Botnar, we are committed to young people's rights and wellbeing.
On #HumanRightsDay, we want to spotlight Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which affirms that every child and young person has the right to express their views — and to have those views taken seriously.
Yet across the world, this right is too often neglected and even violated. Young people are excluded from decisions that shape their lives, or invited to participate only in limited ways that uphold unequal power structures.
We believe meaningful youth participation is essential. By fostering rights-based approaches, we work to shift unequal power dynamics, hold duty-bearers accountable, and help create environments where young people can confidently claim their rights and exercise their agency.
As we continue this journey, we remain dedicated to partnering with communities, young people, and organisations worldwide to build a future where rights are protected, voices are valued, and every young person can enjoy their rights and wellbeing.
#YouthInclusion #YouthParticipation
