Jim Hocking |
Growing up in the Central African Republic and then raising my own family there has provided me with the opportunity to learn and understand intimately this culture and country. I have observed the deterioration economically, politically, and socially over the past ten years of strife and civil war. Watching people lose hope completely was devastating because I see so much potential in the people and resources of this country. ICDI provides the tools needed to equip Central Africans as they implement ideas that can change their world. We have seen God work in awesome ways through the Central Africans working with ICDI and hope to empower even more nationals. Conflict continues in the country, limiting access to some areas of the country for expatriates, so training Central Africans is a key part of ICDI's strategy.
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Integrated Community Development International is currently operating out of three primary locations in the Central African Republic. The capital city of Bangui is the headquarters for ICDI administrative staff, as well as the primary orphan care center, and the primary AIDS/HIV training headquarters. Just north of Bangui, ICDI's short-wave radio station transmits from the town of Boali. In western C.A.R., Berberati is the primary center for the well-drilling and well-repair crews, with storage facilities for supplies and a full garage capable of complete vehicle rebuilds and pump repairs. ICDI's agricultural development program is also currently located in Berberati, although a larger more permanent center is currently in the planning stages. A second orphan care center is also located in Berberati.
Who We Are
Integrated Community Development International (ICDI) is a non-denominational, non-governmental, and non-profit faith-based organization presently working in the Central African Republic and other surrounding countries. ICDI has 501c3 status in the USA as well as tax-exempt NGO status in the Central African Republic.
Our Vision Statement
“Empower Central Africans to give hope to the poor in Jesus’ name”What do we do?
- We provide villages access to clean, safe drinking water.- We offer training to single and married people to prevent sexually-transmitted AIDS.
- We connect orphans with families and provide resources to help them.
- We furnish small business development services and micro credit loans to entrepreneur groups.
- We address malnutrition by equipping subsistence farmers with technical assistance and proven species of fruit trees through targeted village cooperatives.
- We expand people’s thinking through daily radio programming in four different languages.
- We partner with organizations all over the world to bring resources to Central Africa.
- We bring specialized expertise through short-term teams and international workers living in-country.
- We bundle services together (as illustrated above) and strategically offer them to villages.
What do we value most?
Organizational Guidelines1-Accountability – ICDI holds itself answerable to its Board, Staff, & Partners for its commitments and promises made in order to build trust & confidence.
2-Cultural Sensitivity – ICDI’s goal is to understand the cultural environment it engages in. We seek to interface in respectful ways to uphold a Central African’s dignity.
3-Empowerment – ICDI places a high priority on helping nationals learn how to lead and manage their work to have far-reaching and long-term sustainable impact.
4-Faith-based – ICDI’s actions & activities are guided by a passion to show Jesus Christ’s love.
5-Mentorship – ICDI believes a person’s abilities, energy, and life resources are best harnessed and most productive when channeling their development through the person’s God-created passion.
6-Ownership – Central Africans benefit most from a partnership project when they understand what is expected and participate in it until it is completed.
7-Partnerships – ICDI connects people and resources to affect developments in Central Africa. We work with local, government, and international organizations to complement what we do.
8-Relationships – ICDI actively seeks to build trust and establish relationships over time with villages and individual Central Africans as our means to affect transformative changes.
9-Release from poverty – ICDI’s passion is to help Central Africans experience release from the stranglehold grip poverty has on their thinking and behaviors.
10-Tenacity – ICDI is committed to a long term impact regardless of the political, social, and economic climate.
11-Integrity – ICDI intentionally aligns its thoughts, words, and actions.
12-Excellence - ICDI gives its best to what it does and seeks to be the best at what it does.
13-Community - ICDI believes ‘all of us are stronger together than any of us are alone.’
1-Sustainability – ICDI creates self sufficient business models that drive internal economics. ICDI uses resources in a way that respects people, culture, and the environment.
2-Accountability – ICDI develops systems of checks and balances to measure preferred results. Transparency is established in working relationships.
3-Collaboration – ICDI leverages the strengths of individuals collectively.
4-Equality – ICDI elevates the status of the most vulnerable people groups.
5-African Leadership – ICDI respects the African culture and builds on God-given abilities.
6-Holistic – ICDI creates multifaceted projects to meet real needs.
Partnerships ICDI has formed multiple partnerships with multi-national organizations holding to the same goals and principles: ICDI and Vision Trust International are partnering in the Central African Republic to help with the enormous issues facing orphans and destitute children. Vision Trust seeks sponsorships for the children in the orphan care program, while ICDI provides the infrastructure to insure that these children receive medical care, nutrition, education, and love. ICDI has been asked by Living Water International to be their in-country representative for the Central African Republic. Living Water shares our vision of well drilling development. The importance of using this critical need to help with other nutritional, health, and hygiene needs is what strengthens our partnership in the CAR. The Baptist AIDS Response Agency from Nairobi, Kenya has partnered with ICDI to provide quality training in AIDS education and prevention. The ICDI team now has the opportunity to teach abstinence-based AIDS education in public schools as well as other venues. Jars of Clay has started its own mission to deal with AIDS and water issues in Africa. Blood:Water is currently raising funds to drill and repair 1,000 wells in Africa. ICDI will be partnering with them to do a portion of this work in the Central African Republic. The Italian Unraggiodiluce Foundation has connected with ICDI to help with some of the water, sanitation, and orphan care projects. They have also helped ICDI start a second well repair team.