Central to OSA’s goal of sustainability and community empowerment is the Income Generating Activity projects. Through these projects CBOs are able to realize profits that are in turn used to support comprehensive OVC care in their communities. However, these IGAs are essentially micro-businesses run by the community. Thus, such management of the IGAs requires significant capacity building of the community members in areas of business management.

OSA provides IGA-specific trainings on basic business practices and small-business management. Through these trainings community members are empowered to not only effectively balance finance books, track profits, separate re-investment needs from OVC care needs, but also to comprehend the basic ins and outs of basic business.

While the direct effect of these trainings is a well-run IGA that benefits the OVC care programs, it also has lasting, indirect effects by empowering the community with the capacity necessary to potentially begin their own IGAs for further economic development and empowerment.