True development is continual and iterative, and rests upon the skill and opportunity of local leaders to improve the quality of life in their own communities. In the remote and vulnerable communities where VFI works, development of these skills begins with basic and practical education, for both children and adults.

VFI works in both the formal and non-formal education arenas, empowering local people to take control of the most fundamental issues of daily life: food security, basic health and sanitation, and math/business/language skills that allow them to negotiate with traveling merchants.

Strong leaders emerge from and are supported by healthy communities, and VFI works with the local governments to provide a range of social services, including clean water, school building and teacher training, agricultural training, mother and child health care education, infectious disease prevention, nutritional education, training for village health volunteers, and a range of other services.