Global Development Group is an Australian charity organisation carrying out humanitarian projects with approved partners and providing aid to relieve poverty in a tangible way. We provide long term solutions through the provision of quality aid development projects in approved countries.
Global Development Groups' development project photos from around the world:
Regular visits with our project partners - whether In-Country or Australian - are an important aspect of ongoing two-way communication with our project partners and keeping up to date. We look forward to visits from many of our project partners throughout the year - although we don't always have time to post them on our website but most are mentioned in our regular Members Update emails.
Recent Activities
J759N Schools for Excellence - Duncan Ward Receives Award
Global Development Group would like to congratulate Duncan Ward (CEO of Classroom of Hope, GDG Australian Partner for project J759N Schools for Excellence) for winning the 2013 Talent Unleashed Impact Award on the 10th of May, presented by Sir Richard Branson.
J759N is an educational development project, in partnership with Classroom of Hope and KAPE, which aims to provide quality educational opportunities to disadvantaged children across Cambodia. Capacity-building is a major focus of the project, providing high quality training to improve teacher skills, performance and confidence.
Both Classroom of Hope and KAPE have recently created YouTube videos about the project’s goals and outcomes. We encourage you to view these videos to learn more about the amazing work GDG and its partners are achieving.
GDG Monitoring Trip- Cambodia/Laos - February 2013
Geoff and Betty Armstrong and Lisa Low visited Cambodia in February. The first event was a get together with the Cambodian staff, Peta Thomas, Nigel and Debbie Doughan and Makara Kin.
The major event was a great network meeting with 60 Global Development Group partners present and a highlight was the Global Development Group World view – although we also had other great partner speakers
Lisa went back to Australia while Geoff and Betty and Peta went onto Laos mainly visiting World Food Program J753 and Cope J553 (for victims of UexO ) both these projects are supported by AusAID for government money but their public Australian funding comes from Global Development Group. We then went to the MiVAC project J715 (Phonsovan) where we are doing water, biogas and community development for the Hmong People. Peta Thomas spent a further 3 days up in Luang Prabang monitoring the WFP program.
J655N Botanica Ethiopia's Lizzie wins Rotary award for Living Pharmacy project
From all of us at GDG, we would like to publicly congratulate Elizabeth d’Avigdor for winning a Rotary award for the Living Pharmacy project (J655N).
Dr Jerry Day, Jane Day (nee-Luscombe), together with their children, Olivia and Hamish went to Nepal to do some medical volunteer work.
Whilst they were there they also visited GDG project J537 - the Heartland Centre for Learning and Children’s Rights (Stage2), with our project partners, The Heartland Children's Academy and CLCR (The Centre for Learning & Children’s Rights) Nepal & Australia.
Help WFP and GDG save lives in the Philippines
As mentioned in Tuesday's press release, World Food Programme (WFP) is appealing for US$21.6 million to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance as well as logistics support for 400,000 people who have been most affected by Typhoon Bopha in the worst-hit areas of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, the CARAGA region, and Lanao del Sur.
In-Country Representatives Conference - October 2012
This year GDG held its third In-Country Representatives Conference for members of the GDG team who work with GDG within their countries.
Over a couple of weeks the In-country and Australian representatives came to get on the ground training at the Brisbane office and then concluded the period with a three day intensive conference help by GDG.
The conference covered a range of topics from the Power of Vision, the Importance and Collection of Baseline data, Project Management, Cultural Awareness to each representative sharing on the different dynamics and perspectives of working for GDG in their respective countries.
Presentations were of a high calibre, with much to be learnt from the content and the conference was an overall great success. There was much sadness as the delegates parted ways, but all were confident not only in the lessons learnt being of great value to the GDG projects; but also of the growing strength of GDG, its partnerships and the relationships therein.
Special mention needs to be made of Betty and the administration team who hosted and served the delegates of the conference with much gusto and quality.
ACFID Conference - Canberra
Geoff and Fe plus Carey and Martha attended the ACFID Council in Canberra. Guest’s speakers included Hon Julie Bishop and Hon Bob Carr.
China Partners Conference - 10-11th September 2012
The Global Development Group China Partners’ Conference was held in Changsha on the 10th and 11th September, 2012 with 34 delegates in attendance. Master of Ceremonies Justin Anemaat of GDG Partner International China Concern, and Hailey Wang provided clear communication in both English and Mandarin languages. The theme of the Conference was Effective Development for the Disadvantaged & Disabled in China.
Global Development Group’s Executive Director Geoff Armstrong presented on the GDG Partnership and discussed the Australian donor paradigm. Keynote speaker Dr David Michalk promoted the importance of good working relationships with the Government in China, and shared on some of his experience working in agricultural development in rural China on behalf of the Australian Government.
Global Development Group staff and representatives from various partners shared on topics relevant to their work and projects. GDG Accounts Officer Jessica Tan presented on the GDG process of funds and introduced the Administration team impressing us all by presenting first in English and then in Mandarin. GDG Project Officer Samantha Robb shared on the ACFID Code of Conduct and led a workshop with delegates on several key points from the Code. GDG Project Department Manager, Fe Luscombe gave an overview of the countries GDG works in with the number of projects and the level of funding. She also discussed the development activities and programs of 18 GDG projects. This session was very well received by the partners who enjoyed hearing about the big ‘GDG picture’ and projects that are being implemented across the world.
An important purpose of the conference was to facilitate networking and build relationships between partners. Peta Thomas, GDG Project Officer spoke about the importance of projects collaborating and assisting each other to be effective and efficient in the development work.
Feedback from the partners in attendance confirms that the Conference provided a deeper understanding of the development roles and the values which unite us as partners in development. We would like to thank GDG Partner International China Concern for the extensive support provided both before and during the Conference. Global Development Group appreciates the active participation from all partners in attendance and we value our relationship as we work together towards building better lives for the poor and vulnerable in China.
GDG Monitoring Trip - Indonesia - August 2012
In August, Geoff (Executive Director) and Betty Armstrong (Administration) along with Ofelia Luscombe (Senior Project Officer) monitored GDG projects in Indonesia.
They visited with our in-country partner Mercy Indonesia where they saw some great examples of Capacity Building (training) as well as inspecting some building structures. Later in the day they visited Denpasar Community Development Project. It was remarked that it “was great to see such a well-run project”.
Next, they visited Bali Kids (J718) which was excellent. The centre helps look after sick and orphaned children in Bali. Every year they reach out to more than 7000 disadvantaged children. The work involves providing much needed health education, and offering a wide range of medical services including expert treatment for children that are HIV, have TB and other medical needs. The Centre is a fine example of a well designed and built special purpose building
J294 Australian Parliament Member visits the Village of Hope
On August 21st, the Special Envoy to the Australian Prime Minister visited Rwanda. Mr Bob McMullan was on a short visit to Rwanda, aiming to strengthen the relationship with Australia by developing local educational institutions to improve curriculum in mining and drilling. After a visit with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Mr Bob McMullan, accompanied by the Australian East Africa High Commissioner Geoff Tooth, stopped in at the Village of Hope to see a local working example of an Australian-Rwandan partnership. The Australian delegation visited houses in the village and viewed income-generating activities such as brick making, dairy farming and vegetable gardening. These activities provide a way for the widows to earn their own income and for the village to become self-sustainable.
Members of the delegation commented on the high building standard and good maintenance of the houses and decided to contribute to the local economy by purchasing baskets, hand made by the Village of Hope widows.
On the 18th August 2012, the amazing work of Project J542 (Kapuna Canoe Project) was reported in the Port Moresby-based newspaper The Weekend Courier.
The project aims to launch two aluminium constructed canoes for use as transport/mobile health clinics. This will provide the Kapuna and Kikori communities with a vital transportation infrastructure that strengthens local medical services. WASH promotion is also been a key component of the project.
This project receives funding from both AusAID (one year financial backing) and NZAID (two years financial backing).
In March, Samantha (Project Officer) and M.V Thomas (GDG Representative) monitored GDG's projects in India.
We visited the Bridge of Hope program which provides a nutrition program, medical care and supplementary education to children enrolled at a BOH centre. The centres also address the needs of the local community and implement a range of activities such as English classes, literacy and numeracy classes, vocational training ect. BOH also organise gifts such as seeds, water filters, wells and livestock to specific members of the community. The centre’s run programs to educate the community on various social issues including health, sanitation, domestic violence and financial advice. The children at the centre’s participate in these activities and are the voices that educate their community.
Samantha also visited an agriculture project that works in 6 Tibetan settlements across India. GDG has partnered with The Charitable Foundation and the Central Tibetan Relief Committee (CTRC) on promotion of organic farming with further aims to introduce cash crops, increase crop yield, produce organic compost, train farmers on various topics, gain organic certification and a dairy co-op initiative.
Visit from Geoff Tooth (Australian High Commissioner for East Africa)
On Thursday 5th July, GDG had a visit from Geoff Tooth the Australian High Commissioner for East Africa
From left to right: Sam Major, Geoff Armstrong, Betty Armstrong, Brenda Pearson, Geoff Tooth, Ofelia Luscombe
WFP News Release - Jessica Watson
Joint News Release
3 July 2012
JESSICA WATSON, WFP AND SCHOOLAID URGE AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS TO JOIN FIGHT AGAINST CHILD HUNGER
BRISBANE – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and WFP Youth Representative Jessica Watson, together with Australian non-profit organisations SchoolAid and Global Development Group (GDG), are joining forces to engage Australian students in the fight against child hunger. They announced their support for the KIDS FIGHTING HUNGER campaign today before an enthusiastic group of primary school children at Wellers Hill State School.
The KIDS FIGHTING HUNGER campaign, which will reach 7,000 schools around the country, will teach Australian primary school children about child hunger around the world and about WFP’s school meals programme.
Estimated 40,000 in attendance and estimated AUD 10M will be spent in Toowoomba over the weekend.
This year we had quite a few Global Development Group projects well represented in the exhibit area. Watoto, She Rescue Home, Neighbour's Aid, Beyond Water and Destiny Rescue all had separate stands.
This was great to see!
Special Envoy of Prime Minister - Childcare Kitgum Servants - 6th March 2012
Cambodia Partners Network Meeting - 23rd Feb 2012
GDG Perth Partners ACFID Code Seminar - 21st February 2012
Global Development Group is a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) and a signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct, which provides standards on management, communication with the public and, most importantly, how funds are spent.
The 'most valuable gift'?
In addition to giving to their existing preferred projects, GDG donors now have the option to give 'the most valuable gift'; find out more here.
