FundaYao is dedicated to advancing remote sensing across the Global South. Rooted in a community that bridges China and Southern Africa, yet open to collaborators from every region, we exist to make the science of observing our planet more accessible, more connected, and more representative of the people whose lives and landscapes it describes. Our name reflects this spirit: funda, drawn from Nguni languages of Southern Africa, meaning “to learn” or “to read,” and yao (遥), a Chinese character meaning “remote” as in remote sensing.
We are guided by three interlocking goals: Connect, Educate, and Empower.
Connect
We bring young professionals in remote sensing into meaningful contact with one another as well as with practitioners whose work depends on the data and insights our field produces. Remote sensing is most powerful when it leaves the laboratory and meets the farmer, the conservationist, the urban planner, the disaster-response coordinator, or the policymaker. FundaYao builds the bridges that make those encounters possible. We pay particular attention to South-to-South cooperation, fostering durable relationships between peers in Southern Africa, China, and the wider Global South, while welcoming partners from anywhere who share our values.
Educate
We come from a higher education background, and we believe that learning should not stop at the university gate. FundaYao creates and shares educational content that meets young people where they are: on social media. We explain remote sensing in accessible language, demystify pathways into higher education and research careers, and engage openly with the broader issues that shape our field, from open data and ethics to climate change and equitable access to technology. Our goal is to lower the barriers to entry and to inspire the next generation of Earth observers.
Empower
We are committed to promoting and amplifying remote sensing work led from the Global South. Too often, the regions most affected by environmental change are studied from afar rather than from within. FundaYao works to change that balance by spotlighting researchers, students, and practitioners from Southern Africa, China, and beyond; by supporting locally driven projects; and by advocating for the recognition of Southern expertise in international scientific conversations. Empowerment, for us, means ensuring that the people closest to the questions are also at the center of producing the answers.
Through these three commitments we seek to build a more inclusive, collaborative, and forward-looking remote sensing community. We invite young professionals, established practitioners, educators, and partner organizations everywhere to learn with us, no matter the spatial distance between us.