Global Development Group: Helping Partners Change the World

Global Development Group: Helping Partners Change the World

By Dan Wooding, Founder of ASSIST News Service

SINGAPORE (ANS – July 7, 2016) -- During the last 10 years, Global Development Group (GDG) donors, alone, have given more than $186 million USD towards building better lives for the world’s poorest people, investing in and implementing quality development projects.

Something Global Development Group does particularly well is investing in the development of its in-country project leaders—those on the ground doing the “hands on” work. Leaders from different countries come together for education, support and sharing practical experiences and ideas with their peers.

“The 2016 Global Development Group Partners’ Conference was such an overwhelming success -- 95 delegates from 40 projects across 19 countries and three continents converged on Singapore for the recent two-day event,” said a report sent to ANS by Betty Armstrong, Administration Assistant with GDG.

“It was a full program including presentations from Global Development Group partners and staff, partner interviews, a question panel, and two workshop sessions. Session topics included, ‘Principles & Strategies of Mature Projects,’ ‘The Road to Sustainability’ and ‘Risk Management.’”

The report went onto say that the personal stories and the wisdom of experience from both Global Development Group team members and its amazing partners were “particularly inspiring.”

* Jannene Wall of J282 International China Concern, shared concerning sustainability: “When you look at sustainability in the light of finances it can feel huge and difficult, but when you look at a child’s life, then it’s real.”

* Tessema Bekele, Global Development Group representative in Africa encouraged collaboration, saying, “If we don’t collaborate and work together with existing structures, sustainability cannot be assured. Community is very important. We have to collaborate to bring about change.”

* Compliance Manager, Greg Cadman challenged the group on the topic of fundraising asking, “Are we values driven or only results driven? We have a commitment to stand for integrity, honesty, and values.”

The report concluded, “Of course, it wasn’t all about learning, but a valuable opportunity for networking and sharing with each other. Everyone enjoyed catching up over morning tea, lunch, and the dinner -- a number of people said it was like a big family!”

Background info:

In late 2001 CEO Geoff Armstrong visited a drug and alcohol rehabilitation project in Kazakhstan. “The workers there had been trying to enlist some help on the funding-front, but because they weren’t recognized, it fell on deaf ears. I realized at that point that we needed to create an NGO (Non-Government Organization) that could get funds there and that’s where we birthed the idea of Global Development Group,” he recalls.

In its first full year of operation Global Development Group went from Geoff and Betty’s suburban home office in Australia to allocating more than USD $1.48 million to 90 supervised projects in 30 countries around the world.

Global Development Group, Australia, received tax deductible status in 2004, while GDG USA was formed and issued with a tax exempt number in 2007.

During the last 12 months Global Development Group distributed more than USD25.6 million to relieve international poverty, impacting more than an estimated 4.84 million beneficiaries in 38 countries.

“It amazes me how successful we have been. I think it is because donors and partners believe we are very professional in how we go about our work in reaching the poor and disadvantaged of the world,” Geoff said.

For more information, please go to: http://globaldevelopmentgroup.org/au/ 

Photo captions: 1) GDG Staff and Representatives who attended the conference. 2) Ethiopian Representative, Tessema Bekele presenting. 3) Part of the conference attendees with a panel of staff from GDG answering FAQ. 4) Geoff and Betty Armstrong. 5) Dan Wooding reporting from Erbil in Northern Iraq.

About the writer: Dan Wooding, 75, is an award-winning winning author, broadcaster and journalist who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, and is now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for some 53 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. Dan is the founder and international director of the ASSIST News Service (ANS), and is also the author of some 45 books. In addition, Dan has a radio program and two TV shows all based in Southern California. He has reported from around the world, including from North Korea, and also from inside of Northern Iraq.

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