Revealing MAVA’s legacy through our perspective

MAVA Memories

A project that brings the MAVA community together to celebrate their achievements and successes since the foundation was created in 1994.

About the project

Between February and end June 2022, we captured and helped unlock the stories and experiences of our community of partners from their years collaborating with MAVA. Voices that Count guided us in this process and developed the tools to facilitate the story collection.

The result is a wealth of moving stories, meaningful experiences and compelling anecdotes from the last 28 years of work in the conservation sector. The collection of nearly 500 stories has not only brought about powerful feelings but has also helped paint a picture of the legacy MAVA is leaving behind.

A huge THANK YOU to those who contributed to this project with their story. Our partners’ memories and their understanding of how together we have impacted people’s lives and relationship with nature is part of the legacy we wish to leave behind post-2022, once we have closed.

What we have learned through this experience

Some of the stories received tell us about the joint impact achieved in our partner’s communities, others about the more personal side and the lasting influence on their development and growth. Many also shared pictures of the impact, showcasing conservation work into action in MAVA’s focus areas.

You can discover what we have learned through this experience by reading this blog post.

What we will do with the stories collected

Our commemorative book is due to be published in early 2023 with a chapter on MAVA’s legacy from our partners’ perspective and on a collection of powerful stories from this MAVA Memories project.

We published all the stories collected in an anonymous manner in this open-access dashboard.

Below you can also browse stories that were shared with a picture.

We hope this will inspire the next generation of conservationists, donors and change-makers to continue MAVA’s mission and vision.

Learn more

Al Hima Magazine 5th Issue

This edition of Al Hima magazine weaves together inspiring stories of nature conservation and community resilience, highlighting how Lebanon is being stitched back to life—one Hima at a time. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL) continues its mission to preserve the country’s natural heritage by empowering local communities. A cornerstone of this effort is the BioConnect project, funded by the European Union, which has achieved three national firsts: Lebanon’s first natural park (Upper Matn), first geological park (Shouf-Jezzine), and first endowment Hima (Btekhnay).

Read Previous issues

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