What We Do
Open tools.Local knowledge.Healthier communities
We connect open technology, local knowledge, and practical support to help communities understand the air they breathe and act on the evidence.
Our programme areas
Four programmes. One shared purpose
From a first local measurement to tools others can build on, each programme helps make cleaner air more achievable.
Community Air Quality Monitoring
Community-led monitoring creates local evidence where reliable air quality data is missing, with support to establish and sustain networks.
Explore programme
Global Capacity Building
Local teams gain the skills to install monitors, interpret measurements, communicate risks, and turn evidence into action.
Explore programmeOpen Source Stewardship
Open hardware, software, data systems, and documentation keep useful tools accessible and adaptable.
Explore programme
Biosafety and Airborne Hazards
Affordable approaches to airborne protection connect air quality expertise with preparedness through development and testing.
Explore programmeOur theory of change
A clear path from evidence to action
Our work connects three things that communities need to make progress.
Detect
Make local air quality visible with affordable, open monitoring tools.
Understand
Help people check the data, interpret the measurements, and explain what they mean.
Protect
Use the evidence to inform ventilation, filtration, public communication, and local action.
Each project adds to shared tools and knowledge, so the next community can build on what others have learned.
The approach in practice · Lagos, Nigeria
What happens when a community can see what it's breathing
For us to be able to inform governments, we need data, and luckily we got the data from a donated monitor, which we used in piloting the study.
Okwong Walter · Community partner
In a Lagos fish-smoking community, local monitoring made smoke exposure visible. Partners used the evidence in discussions with public authorities. The Lagos Environmental Protection Agency later installed smokeless eco-kilns.
An example from AirGradient’s community work, which helped shape OAF’s approach.
Read the Lagos storyWhat makes the work last
Building local capacity
Equipment matters. So do the people, skills, and resources that keep it useful. We plan for all of them.
Local ownership
Partners define the question, choose host locations, and organise the people who will maintain the network. Community Grants and technical support help put those plans into practice.
Shared infrastructure and learning
Open hardware, software, data systems, and practical guidance form shared infrastructure that many communities can use. We maintain and improve these resources with local partners, so each project contributes knowledge others can build on. Funding this work supports both local implementation and resources that remain useful beyond any one grant.
Progress that means something
We look beyond equipment delivered: are monitors working, can local teams use the data, and is evidence informing decisions? These questions guide follow-up, evaluation, and improvements.
Take the next step
Put the approach into practice
Explore our projects or help a community take its next step.