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Taipei · Est. 2019 · Social Innovation

We believe the next generation
can change the world.

A Taipei-based non-profit empowering young people through affordable housing, community regeneration, and cross-cultural social innovation.

Discover our work  →
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Who we are

A living laboratory for social change

Founded in 2019 in Taipei, Believe in Next Generation Association is a cross-generational non-profit committed to one idea: that young people are not just the future — they are active agents of change right now.


We work at the intersection of housing, community, creativity, and education. Based in Mingfu Village, a 60-year-old neighbourhood near Taipei's Songshan Airport, we use our own community as a living laboratory for social innovation.

"Young people don't just need opportunities. They need spaces — physical, social, and imaginative — to become who they're meant to be."
Founded 2019 Taipei, Taiwan Mingfu Village Cross-generational
What we do

Six programs. One mission.

Click any program below to explore in depth — including stories from the field, videos, and the people behind the work.

01
Affordable Housing

11 co-living spaces across Taipei — making the city accessible to students and young professionals who need it most.

02
Impact Academy

Thematic courses, study groups, and career mentorship cultivating the next generation of sustainability leaders.

03
Impact Trip

Immersive learning journeys across Asia — from Ishinomaki to Setouchi — turning cities into classrooms.

04
Impact Publication

Bilingual books co-authored by participants — translating lived experience into shared cultural knowledge.

05
Community Regeneration

Embedding young creative talent in Mingfu Village — reactivating an aging neighbourhood through dialogue and renewal.

06
Artistic Empowerment

Residencies, public art, and theatre productions nurturing creative talent as a force for community change.

Affordable Housing

Creating homes that enable purpose

Since 2021, BNGA has been tackling Taiwan's chronic youth housing crisis by developing co-living spaces across the Taipei metropolitan area. We partner with socially-minded landlords who share our values — converting underused properties into affordable, community-oriented homes.

By making the city financially accessible, we ensure talented young people can stay rooted in the communities that need them — rather than being displaced to cheaper suburbs with weaker social networks.

  • 11 youth co-living spaces across the Taipei metropolitan area
  • Partners with like-minded landlords on a shared social mission
  • Accessible, livable spaces for students and young professionals
  • Enables young talent to contribute to and remain in local communities

Story from our housing program

Chu-Yuan's Story — Life in a BNGA Youth Co-Living Space

Chu-Yuan's Story
Impact Academy

Cultivating leaders with a sustainability mindset

Since 2021, the Impact Academy has been BNGA's flagship education program — equipping young people with knowledge, networks, and intrinsic motivation to become the next generation of impact leaders through a case-based, action-oriented approach.

Since 2024, we have collaborated with experienced HR professionals to support young people navigating career transitions — providing personalised guidance and connecting high-performing young professionals across industries.

  • Annual thematic courses with action-oriented study groups
  • Case-based learning methodology — real problems, real solutions
  • Career transition support with experienced HR mentors (since 2024)
  • Cross-industry peer network for high-performing young professionals
  • Focuses on cultivating intrinsic motivation, not just credentials

Impact Academy

Mental Resilience Workshop — Youth from Taiwan, Hong Kong & Malaysia

Mental Resilience Workshop
Impact Trip

Cities as classrooms

BNGA's Impact Trips are immersive learning journeys that cultivate the seeds of change. Through deep observation and meaningful engagement, participants explore diverse cities — uncovering the dynamics of social innovation while building authentic connections with local changemakers.

  • Yokohama, Japan (2019)Urban regeneration through art residency
  • Ishinomaki, Japan (2019 & 2026)Post-disaster community recovery and resilience — visited twice across two chapters of the city's rebuilding journey
  • Tokyo, Japan (2025)Urban regeneration and social design frameworks
  • Higashikawa, Japan (2025, 2026)Photography-led rural revitalization
  • Setouchi, Japan (2025)Art-driven island renewal

Each journey equips participants with new perspectives, a renewed sense of purpose, and the capacity to become agents of positive change at home.

2025 Impact Trip

Rebirth of Setouchi — An Art-Led Journey Through Rural Japan

Setouchi Impact Trip
Impact Publication

Turning experience into shared knowledge

After each Impact Journey, participants become storytellers and creators. Through publication, BNGA empowers young people to translate personal experiences into shared knowledge — transforming insight into action and voice into influence.

These bilingual books expand their impact beyond the original journeys, reaching readers across cultural contexts and keeping conversations alive long after the trips end.

  • Rebirth of IshinomakiChinese edition (2020) and Japanese edition (2021). Supported through two grassroots crowdfunding campaigns in Japan.
  • Rebirth of SetouchiBilingual Chinese and Japanese edition, February 2026. Available in independent bookstores in Tokyo and at the Taipei Art Book Fair. Selected for the Photobook Showcase at the 2026 Kyotographie International Photo Festival — the first-ever photography magazine exhibition at the Kyoto International Photography Festival.

📖 Available in independent bookstores in Tokyo and at the Taipei Art Book Fair.

Community Regeneration

Reactivating an aging neighbourhood

BNGA is based in Mingfu Village — a 60-year-old neighbourhood near Taipei's Songshan Airport facing demographic decline and urban stagnation. Since 2023, we have introduced young creative talents into the community, injecting new energy while fostering meaningful intergenerational exchange.

  • University CafeEvery Friday, an open community space offering free coffee to neighbourhood residents, brewed with Taiwanese-grown beans by trained volunteer "Impact Baristas."
  • Community AcademyYoung instructors offer yoga, performing arts, magic, Japanese language, photography, and handicraft classes — creating income pathways for youth while serving seniors.
  • Intergenerational ExchangePositioning youth as active contributors and seniors as living archives of the neighbourhood.
  • Fourth-wave coffee valuesSustainability, origin, and social impact matter as much as taste.

Community Regeneration

Yao-Ting's Story — An Acting Class for Elderly Residents in Mingfu Village

Yao-Ting's Acting Class
Artistic Empowerment

Art as infrastructure

BNGA nurtures creative talents by empowering both local and international artists. Through international residencies, public art projects, and theatre productions, we transform our neighbourhood into a vibrant cultural hub and export Taiwan's creative energy internationally.

  • Long Live the Mango TreeCommunity theatre incubated in 2023, successfully staged in Seoul and Cheongju, South Korea.
  • International Artist ResidenciesHosting artists from around the world in Mingfu Village, enriching the community's cultural fabric.
  • Public Art ProjectsTransforming street spaces into vibrant cultural landmarks.
  • Prologue New Play FestivalAnnual event raising awareness of social issues through creative expression.

Community Theatre — Seoul & Cheongju, South Korea

Long Live the Mango Tree

Long Live the Mango Tree
Impact by numbers

Seven years of measurable change

0Youth Co-Living Spaces
0+Total Reach of Impact Academy
0+Impacted by Community Outreach
0Year-Old Neighbourhood Regenerated
See our work

Taking Youth to Living Classrooms around the world

Watch stories about our Impact Trips, told by young participants and like-minded partners.

Setouchi Impact Trip
Impact Trip Rebirth of Setouchi — An Art-Led Journey Through Rural Japan
Regeneration in Tokyo
Impact Trip Regeneration Workshop and Regeneration Communities in Tokyo
Ishinomaki 15 Years After
Impact Trip From Rebuilding to Reimagining — Ishinomaki, 15 Years After the Catastrophe
Watch more on YouTube  →
Global partnerships

Building bridges for social innovation

BNGA is actively expanding its global network — partnering with Tokyo-based sustainability consultancy Fabric and the team behind the Japan Good Design Award-winning Ikebukuro Living Loop.

Global

The Global
Impact Link

Different cultures. Common challenges. One shared vision. Across borders and time zones, communities around the world face the same questions about how to build cities that work for everyone.

Affordable Housing Urban Regeneration Artistic Empowerment Aging Populations Youth Empowerment Placemaking Knowledge Exchange Social Innovation

From Taipei's Mingfu Village to cities around the world — different cities, common purpose.

Get in touch

Let's build something together

BNGA is always looking to build relationships with like-minded organisations, changemakers, and collaborators around the world.