We’re pleased to announce the 2026 winners of our Maya Ajmera Sustainability Award: Instituto Mãe Lalu and Otros Dreams en Acción.

Each year, the Maya Ajmera Sustainability Award recognizes the outstanding achievements of community-based organizations working to create lasting change for children and young people. The award celebrates partners who are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to building more just, inclusive, and supportive environments where children and young people can thrive.

This year’s winners, Instituto Mãe Lalu (IMLA) and Otros Dreams en Acción (ODA), are responding to distinct challenges in their communities, yet both are grounded in the same belief that lasting change is built when communities lead and when the voices of children, young people, and those most affected are placed at the center of solutions.

Instituto Mãe Lalu | Brazil

Based in Brazil’s northeastern region, Instituto Mãe Lalu (IMLA) is a community-based organization led by young and adult women who believe in collective leadership and shared responsibility. The organization integrates local culture and traditional knowledge into its educational approach, creating spaces where children and adolescents can learn in ways that reflect their identities and experiences.

At the heart of IMLA’s work is a commitment to strengthening literacy and learning. Through its “Vamos dar Meia Volta e Alfabetizar” initiative, the organization provides extended after-school activities for children aged 8 to 14, supporting them in developing reading and writing skills through creative and engaging methods. This work is complemented by initiatives such as Literarte, an annual cultural event that brings together art, performance, and community dialogue, and Ciranda da Saúde, which provides access to essential health and wellness services.

IMLA’s impact is deeply rooted in community participation. Families and community members actively contribute to daily activities, while partnerships with groups such as the Association of Women in Artisanal Fishing of Vale do Iguape create opportunities for economic empowerment and the preservation of traditional knowledge. Young people also play a central role within the organization, contributing to decision-making, program design, and the creation of spaces like the Tenda Rosal Library, where they feel a strong sense of ownership and belonging.

With support from GFC’s Sustainability Award, IMLA will strengthen its work by:

• Investing in its team: Building skills in leadership, fundraising, and communication, while continuing to center anti-racist education.
• Expanding its literacy programs: Growing the reach and quality of its after-school literacy program through improved spaces and more diverse learning approaches.
• Creating a cultural center: Developing a dedicated community space for art, culture, and learning that will bring people together and strengthen local identity.

Otros Dreams en Acción | Mexico

Otros Dreams en Acción (ODA) is an organization led by and for people directly impacted by deportation and return-migration. As an intergenerational collective, it brings together returned migrants, allies, ambassadors, and staff who share their lived experiences to challenge the systems that shape forced migration and to work toward a future of free and dignified mobility.

Operating within a context of increasing deportations and limited support for returning communities, ODA centers the voices of those most affected, including the feminized, queer, youth, and elderly populations. Through its work, the organization addresses both the immediate needs of communities navigating return and the broader systems that continue to marginalize them.

Initiatives such as Pocha House Pop-Ups expand ODA’s reach across different regions, creating spaces for leadership development, storytelling, and coalition building. These efforts are complemented by workshops such as the Know Your Rights workshop, which provides essential information and support to communities both in the United States and Mexico. Across all its work, community members are deeply involved, taking on roles as leaders, ambassadors, and contributors, ensuring that the organization remains grounded in lived experience.

With support from GFC’s Sustainability Award, ODA will strengthen its work by:

• Building the Translocal Community Corridor: Expanding cross-border collaboration between communities and organizations in the US and Mexico –supporting advocacy, leadership development, and rights-based training for undocumented, returned, and deported individuals.
• Expanding Pocha Press: Publishing Mientras Estoy Lejos (While I’m Away), a children’s book sharing the experiences of families separated by deportation and using storytelling and art to create space for reflection, connection, and community dialogue.
• Strengthening community-led approaches: Developing more inclusive and culturally informed ways of working – using storytelling, art, and community insights to inform programming, resources, and advocacy efforts.

Although their work takes place in different parts of the world, Instituto Mãe Lalu and ODA are united by a shared belief in the power of community-led change. By centering lived experience, fostering collaboration, and investing in sustainable approaches, both organizations are creating pathways for children, young people, and their communities to shape their own futures.

We look forward to continuing to share more about their work and the impact they are creating in their communities and beyond.