About Us
What is in the name?
The Community Rising Africa Network abbreviation
(CRANE) defines the core of our mission:
(a) crane - the machine - symbolizes the work
we do to lift people out of extreme poverty, and
(b) crane, a popular African bird, means
that we give underserved communities wings to fly on the journey to self-reliance and sustainability.
International NGOs and foreign governments have not overcome the barriers to Africa’s development despite the use of massive aid resources! At CRANE, we believe Africa’s problems will be best solved when African professionals pursue the Sustainable Development Goals from the driver’s seat. That’s why we empower African innovators who are already making lasting change on the continent, catalyzing Africa’s journey to self-reliance.
Our Vision
Water the seeds of sustainable development by catalyzing community-driven and Locally-led Innovations, solutions and leadership.
Our Mission
Catalyze localization by supporting leaders in Africa and the global south to drive change in priority setting, inclusive project design, implementation, shared learning, and impact definition and measurement.
Our Framework
Our Steering Committee brings a combined 200+ years of experience in the development sector. With our proven track record and a vision for a self-sustaining Africa, we formed CRANE to empower African innovators who are already effecting change on the continent. We are harnessing Africa’s greatest asset: her professionals in Africa and abroad. By connecting local leaders to global resources, we’ve already scaled the impact of our partners in five African nations.
Here’s how our collaborative network delivers better results than traditional aid models:
Local partnerships
We identify best-in-class indigenous organizations developing the most vulnerable parts of Africa and boost their capacity through training & technical support.
Accountability
We engage in evidence-based advocacy with our partners, connecting them to global resources for increased effectiveness.
Collaboration
We share on our innovative development models with African governments and other stakeholders to deliver our solutions at scale.