Project Philosophy

OAKTREE’S DEVELOPMENT PHILOSOPHY

As of May 2010, Oaktree is excited to launch our new Development Philosophy -the key principles that together form a strategic framework for how we at Oaktree ‘do overseas development’! This is a huge milestone for Oaktree as we seek to bring greater clarity and focus to our overseas development work.

NEW! EXCLUSIVE ASIA-PACIFIC FOCUS

By 2013 we will be investing $750,000 in educational opportunities for young people in the poorest countries in our region. Focusing our development work in the Asia-Pacific gives us the opportunity to significantly maximize our impact in the following ways:

• First, our funds will go further in Asia-Pacific allowing us to spend more money directly on our projects and the people in need. This is due to lower project management and operational costs, and our increased capacity to leverage corporate, government and public support for our region.
• Second, geographical proximity to our project partners will allow us to visit more regularly and develop a better understanding of the communities we are working in and how we might support them and our local partners. This understanding and expertise is crucial to us being an effective development agency, and a legitimate advocate for those living in extreme poverty in our region.
• Third, we will be providing fundamental educational opportunities to a region home to approximately 900 million of the world’s poorest people (those who survive on less then $1 a day), to whom we have unique access and responsibility.

In order to pursue an Asia-Pacific focus we are beginning to phase out our involvement with our South African project Generation of Leaders Discovered (GOLD). We recognize that our withdrawal will have a significant impact on GOLD, and as such, have given them a further 3 years until our funding will be complete. This will ensure that they are supported through the transition, and that their good work thus far is not jeopardized. Of course, the Schools4Schools Program will continue to focus on raising funds for GOLD and educating students on issues of poverty in South Africa. Oaktree is also planning to launch Schools4Schools Asia in the second half of this year, and we have recently sent volunteers to Cambodia to identify a new project which will form the focus of this new program.

FOCUS ON YOUNG PEOPLE

Oaktree was founded on the notion that young people can achieve great things. In our overseas development work, we continue to engage exclusively with projects that recognize the value of young people, and seek to build leadership and resilience amongst them so that they can bring change to their own communities. More specifically, we fund projects that support teenagers and young adults. The reason for this being that the most significant and immediate gains for social, economic and political participation are made through education for young people in this age bracket. While there is obvious value in primary and early childhood education, the age group we work with is at a crucial, formative stage of their development where both education and employment pathways become particularly relevant.

EDUCATION

At Oaktree, we believe that education is key to creating change and breaking the cycle of poverty. It is through education projects that Oaktree continues to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to take control of their lives and make positive choices. We recognize that education needs vary across different settings, and as such, we seek to tailor our support to the needs of the community and young people with whom we are working.

SUSTAINABILITY

Oaktree continues to identify and support projects that not only provide short-term benefit, but can also be upheld by the community long after we are gone. In this way we ensure that the outcomes of the project are sustainable and not contingent on our involvement. To create the necessary sense of community ownership, Oaktree partners with projects that make a conscious effort to strengthen the capacity of developing communities and individuals so that they can take charge of their own lives.

PARTNERSHIP

Oaktree recognizes that we are by no means experts in the challenges facing the communities in which we work. Consequently, Oaktree operates exclusively through partnerships with in-country local organisations. We are primarily a financial partner, but we provide technical support if there is a clear opportunity to draw on key organizational strengths. As a donor we generally support projects for 3-5 years as this allows us to create meaningful and sustained change, while also having clear exit strategies. We do not place volunteers overseas unless a project partner requires technical support or additional capacity, and when we do so it is done through a recognized volunteer program such as Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development or Australian Volunteers international.

DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES WITHIN AUSTRALIA

Oaktree does not support projects in Indigenous communities. While we recognize that there is appalling poverty in some of these communities, we are committed to alleviating extreme poverty and this necessitates working exclusively in countries that lack the adequate resources and support structures to assist their own people. The Australian Government can and should do more to assist Indigenous Australians, and consequently our limited funds are of significantly greater value in other less developed countries. We are however keen to continue to better include Indigenous young people in our work, and pursue opportunities to understand and learn about the issues that they currently face.