Sustainability Partners was founded after conducting an environmental review of the VSO program in Indonesia. It seemed then that there were many small local initiatives that were attempting to make real, practical improvements in their areas but were too small to access outside funding. It was also clear that the large aid agencies followed their own agendas, usually determined by the interests of their funders at least as much as those of their clients.

At that time, just after the terrible tsunami, everyone wanted to fund disaster preparedness but hungry villagers with sick children were more interested in short-term improvements than preparing for something that might or might not happen in the distant future!

 

It also became clear that email, the internet and cheap air travel made it possible to keep in personal touch with individuals and small groups in quite remote locations. As a registered charity we are able to claim Gift Aid adding 25% to the value of donations from UK tax payers. By staying small we avoid overhead costs; every penny donated goes to our partners overseas.