Our Approach & Belief

Community Aid international (CAI) approaches its development work with the conviction that the power and will to improve the quality of life lie with the communities in which we work. We believe in directing our effort in helping people to strengthen their capacity and increase their momentum as they work towards realizing their potential in improving their quality of life.

We have adopted a two-pronged strategy of Practical-Needs Approach and Rights-Based Approach to human development. In this strategy, we design and implement two sets of activities: one that addresses poverty and low quality of life through practical actions that improve people’s capacity to increase their livelihood, and, another set that empowers the citizenry to enhance their participation in public affairs and demand for the fulfilment and protection of their rights to better services and accelerated socio-economic development.

The philosophy behind the rights-based approach is that the citizens, as tax payers and the owners of sovereign power, hold the rights to improved service delivery and faster social and economic development. They have delegated the responsibility and duty to their elected leaders and government to use the public resources to improve the quality of life of all. Therefore the citizens, as rights holders must hold the state and public officers, as duty bearers, to account.

We believe that the existence of poverty and deplorable quality of life in many communities is not a natural phenomenon, nor are there any groups and communities destined to be poor and live in those unacceptable conditions amid plenty in resources and opportunities; but poor societies lack good leadership and good governance; they lack visionary and selfless individuals with ideas and are driven by commitment to servanthood that can use the available state institutions and instruments of power to move these nations to prosperity for all.

The above is the basis for all our projects and programmes including the two major ones: Leadership and Governance, and, Community Aiders Programme.