Working Villages International addresses the problems of a poverty-stricken region with techniques founded on Gandhian principles of village development. Much of the poverty of the developing world is due to misuse of resources and misappropriation of goods. Working Villages helps rebuild the community and provides the training and start-up capital for employment, creating an environment that promotes economic self-sufficiency and independence from foreign aid. Local production and self-sufficiency is the key to peace in developing regions. Eventually, it is WVI's goal to build a number of sustainable villages throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions, significantly elevating the quality of life for the people of the region without engendering dependence on future foreign assistance.