According to the World Bank Group, (the world’s leading financier of development initiatives) an estimated 37% of Africans will still be poor in 2015 if current trends continue. Overall, the private sector, agriculture, water and sanitation, women’s empowerment, clean energy, skill-building, and transportation infrastructure has to be strategically refocused and realigned for lasting sustainable development. The Bank’s assessment concludes that African countries need more jobs and investment to grow and improve lives and lack of opportunity for women stunts economic growth and worsens poverty. Only 23 percent of people have access to electricity with 28 of 48 countries affected by an energy crisis. On health issues, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 63 percent of HIV/AIDS cases and 1.1 million malaria-related deaths annually, thus putting health systems under tremendous stress. Even though enormous strides have been made in primary education enrollment, the quality of education and instruction offered faces new challenges due to overcapacity in schools. New facilities and educational resources must be provided to keep pace with high enrollment and retention rates. And last but not least, transportation infrastructure must be a priority for obvious economic reasons. Africa of today has fewer roads than it did 30 years ago due to lack of repair and maintenance, and only 30 percent of rural people have access to all-season road. To be successful, holistic and comprehensive approaches to development must be the new paradigm for prosperity in Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa has at least 75% of its population living in rural areas where a majority of them engage in agricultural production mostly for subsistence purposes. Since this population segment is always marginalized from other productive and infrastructural networks with national economies, they are mostly vulnerable to disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and economic stagnation often due to the lack of socio-economic and institutional outreach and support to the local level. For us to be successful and make the biggest difference in socio-economic change, it is important to target this population segment within their local setting and try to involve everyone in a comprehensive way by identifying a community base to engage and deliver broad-based, capacity-building programs for sustainable development.

It is widely accepted that women and children possess a multiplier effect in any investment designed to eradicate poverty and create a sustainable economic environment in the long-run. Women are head of households, mothers, educators, nutritionists, nurturers (spiritually and culturally), and on the other hand children are the principal recipients of their caring and both are the most vulnerable in society. Also, it is important to realize that men are always ready and willing to adapt when women and children are the focus for a successful social and economic program which benefits everyone in the long-run. Therefore, school settings and women’s groups are our primary target communities because of the above-mentioned reasons and ideas. And if there is a presence or a potential for a community-wide setting for outreach, we intend to capitalize on that aspect too. We understand that for any program of this magnitude to be successful, we must be aware of all cultural dynamics and be sensitive to local customs and traditions while not forgetting that our job is to offer a helping hand where it is needed most and without prejudice for the betterment of our global community and for lasting socio-economic change.