The rich have never been richer! The gap between the absolute poor has grown. More people live in extreme poverty than ever. The opportunities to break free of poverty have become less and less. ICAN will focus on public health and poverty eradication.
Empowerment of Women
The future of Africa depends on breaking the cycle of poverty; we believe that this depends upon enabling women to be independent to own land, to own their own businesses, and to have the freedom to be equal in every way. Poverty reduction and supporting women to become empowered is a prerequisite to change.
Men throughout the world are behaving in ways that conform to their sense of what it is to 'be a man' in their context; and women throughout the world are maneuvering within or contesting this. ICAN is aware of the power relations at play and acknowledge that change in gender relations cannot take place in a vacuum. We believe that men and masculinities must be made an issue in gender planning: if positive changes are to be achieved for women, men must change too.
Income Generation
ICAN plans to provide small grants to self-help groups, faith based groups, community based organizations and children's groups. We can provide, for example, simple tools such as sewing machines, posho (maize) mills, carpentry equipment and small grants to help local community groups become more independent to build their own schools and send their own children to school, while helping other vulnerable children and members of their community.
We believe it is by creating local self sufficiency you will change the culture of dependency that has been created in Africa.
Direct Aid
In Africa there are many immediate needs and tragedies. There are daily examples of people with nowhere to go, no shoes on their feet, no clothes, not knowing where the next meal will come from. There are many people who are destitute living in unimaginable conditions. ICAN has a very small discretionary budget and we are able to give sandals, clothes and food, basic emergency help to those who need our help in immediate and practical ways.
There are so many people in need of direct and real help now that we consider this an important part of our flexibility in responding to humanity at its most desperate moment. This activity is not part of programme strategic interventions or funded by specific project resources. The only way we can help these destitute people is to receive individual donations from friends and members of the public specifically to help those who have fallen through the net and have nowhere to go.