The ICI’s programme is community driven; it is a way for the community to decide its own future. Today, ICI programmes are active in almost 250 communities. The ICI process works with cocoa-growing communities to build awareness about abusive labour practices and helps them plan for themselves how best to ensure that these practices will end. The programme draws in others to invest in the community and improve farming, infrastructure and other needs.

ICI’s programme at community level can be divided into four steps:

Dialogue and Understanding: ICI implementing partners talk with groups in the community about hazards their children can suffer while working in the cocoa farms; and the community raises issues for discussion (e.g. on child labour or education).

Community Action Planning: Community members present various initiatives they have decided upon as their action plans (e.g. build a school).

Implementation of the Action Plan: Community members decide how to implement the action plans (e.g. how to get the funds, materials and labour force to build the new school).

Monitoring and Evaluation: The community forms a committee to make sure the action plans are implemented (e.g. the school is effectively built) and that practices change.

Key to these Action Plans are the efforts to address the worst forms of child labour and forced labour, as the villagers agree how their children should be treated. Communities are informed and educated about hazardous work practices such as carrying heavy loads or spraying pesticides and shown ways to ensure children are not exposed to unsafe conditions.