Holistic Community Development Strategy

In Africa Foundation's philosophy is based on empowering the individual through recognition of his or her unique talent and skills. The approach is one based on cooperation, collaboration and a sharing of knowledge and skills.

The foundation bases its community approach and assessment on market-driven requirements and meets with each community in the secure knowledge that there is a market for the product and thus sustainability of employment.

The foundation's goals for every community it supports are:

• Empowerment of the individual through employment opportunity and skills training
• Development of sustainable microenterprise
• Self management and financial independence
• Microenterprise and financial management knowledge transfer
• Provision of basic infrastructure:
  • Water and sanitation
  • Renewable energy solutions
  • Enterprise facilities, workshop and/or materials storeroom
  • Housing repair
  • Communication
  • Roads and access to transport
  • Village based community centre

Historically, infrastructure development has had a high rate of deterioration through communities' inability to provide basic upkeep due to poverty through lack of employment opportunity.

By comparison, In Africa Foundation addresses community development through the creation of sustainable microenterprise based on diversification of traditional skills. In this way, the community is able to support itself and maintain its basic services and infrastructure.

In Africa Foundation creates the employment opportunity providing all skills training necessary to ensure the success of the enterprise through collaboration in:

• Design
• Design interpretation
• Materials sourcing and/or production
• Productions skills training
• Order production planning
• Quality control
• Micro enterprise skills training
• Personal finance management assistance

The development of the microenterprise starts as a joint collaboration with knowledge exchange and sharing of all that is required to make it a success. In Africa Foundation ensures the community makes all final decisions directly affecting their enterprise.

The community decides:

• To commence the joint collaboration
• To accept the production of a design
• The appointment of a Master Crafter
• The appointment of an administrator
• The level of skills training required
• The purchase price of product in negotiation with In Africa Foundation
• To establish a trade agreement with In Africa Foundation for sale of products through the foundation's retail channels
• Production volumes
• Delivery lead times
• Member performance

In Africa Foundation details all services it will provide to the community including how the product will be marketed and sold. Detailed costs are shared to provide a full understanding of go-to-market costs and the need to keep products price-competitive to ensure continuous production.

Transparency in all the foundation does is paramount in gaining complete trust and support from the men and women in the communities. Without this trust the project will fail. Once a project commences, the foundation carries out its roles and responsibilities in project management and product development to enable full and sustainable manufacture of products.

While we encourage inter-sustainability between community members, neighbouring villages, merchants and traders, authorities and service providers, conflicts of interest are guarded against.