Community-led Transformation

There is no “one size fits all” approach to poverty alleviation. Every community brings a unique vision, set of challenges, and ideas to the conversation. In order to create sustainable solutions to poverty alleviation, our programs must reflect that diversity.
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Our holistic approach to poverty alleviation has been shaped by actively listening to our partner communities. Through these relationships, we have learned how harmful stereotypes about poverty, specifically poverty on continental Africa, have created a system of international development that undermines local leaders, resources, and skill sets.
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We’re changing that.

Our partner communities know best what they need to create sustainable change. Through our community-led approach, we follow the lead of our partners and work together with a community’s trusted leaders to identify and help dismantle the challenges they face, so their community’s vision can be realized. In-country decision making, programming, monitoring and evaluation ensure that the work we invest in is driven by the communities themselves.

657 million people world-wide live in extreme poverty.

Rising inflation and the impacts of the war in Ukraine pushed a projected 76 million more people into extreme poverty.

A Holistic Approach

Our three-part strategy addresses access to basic needs, quality education and a sustainable income. We create a platform that equips communities to create steady, sustainable change from the inside out.

creating sustainable solutions

Our 3-Part Strategy

Basic Needs

Addressing access to basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and sanitation is the first step toward creating sustainable solutions to poverty alleviation. When basic needs are met, communities are free to think about the long-term vision of their community.

Impact:

10 clean water projects completed
51,500 people have access to clean water

Quality Education

Access to a quality education has the power to break the cycle of poverty in one generation. We provide high-risk youth who desire to learn the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. Our education programs include, tutoring, mentorship, career counseling, family well-being checks, and access to hygiene and school supplies to ensure students are holistically cared for.

Impact:

1,225 primary and secondary education scholarships provided
73 university scholarships provided

Sustainable Income

Ownership, dignity, and pride are the cornerstones of our sustainable income projects. Addressing each community's unique vision, strengths, existing skill sets, and resources ensures long-term success and community buy-in. Program leaders and participants also receive training in resource management, conflict resolution, disaster and risk mitigation, technical skills, and book-keeping.

Impact:

7 sustainable income projects invested in

Partnership Model

Our partnership model is built on relationships. Before any financial investment is made in a program or project, we take time to get to know each other. We work through three types of partnerships:

We work through three types of partnerships:

Local non-governmental organizations (NGO)
Schools
Local Community Leadership (ie. village chiefs)

When identifying a partnership we look for three qualifications:

Existing leadership structure with quality leaders
Demonstrated motivation to partner, implement and sustain a program or project
An identifiable felt need or vision within the community

Once a partnership is established our work together begins

Local leaders are the visionaries as we define our partnership

01

Engage

Before any work begins, our in-country leaders identify new partnership opportunities and begin establishing a relationship. Once they have built a relationship, they introduce our U.S. team to the community leads and we get to know each other.

02

Listen

Once we have a relationship, we work together to conduct a community survey that captures the voices of every group within the community (youth, women, elders, teachers, etc.) This helps community leaders better understand the challenges and ideas of their community and builds ownership and pride in the work ahead.

03

Collaborate

Together with our in-country leaders, community leads, local government and other key stakeholders, we identify what the immediate and long-term needs of the community are and how The Humanity Share can be a resource to the community in realizing their vision.

04

Implement

Lack of financial capital or skill set training most often holds a community back from realizing their vision. As staff and volunteers in the U.S. and Australia fundraise, our U.S. and East African staff create a program plan. Once we have secured all necessary resources, we implement the program.

05

Execute

Monitoring and evaluation provide community members with a safe space to give feedback on how programs impact their lives, equip local leaders with critical information so they can better serve their communities, provide our leadership team with data that shape and improve future programs, and provide donors with the confidence that their funds are being invested in work that is effective.

06

Support

Breaking generational poverty isn’t a quick fix and we are here for the long-game. We provide ongoing support to a community for as long as they need it. Sometimes one intervention is enough, but most times it leads to other ideas and opportunities that can build long-term, sustainable change. Our long-term commitments to one another nurture deep friendships that last well beyond the completion of a project. We’re never too busy to stop and share a cup of tea in the company of good friends.

make an impact