The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015 – form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and the entire world’s leading development institutions.

While ABV work within its niche of enterprise development and deals predominantly with the private sector, our work is based on the principle that the private sector is the engine for economic development. This work contributes to the alleviation of poverty (MDG 1) by economically empowering developing communities. Working across various business and community sectors, ABV Volunteers also find themselves indirectly contributing towards the attainment of other goals. This can take the form of building awareness of HIV/AIDS (MDG 6) through our BizAIDS training course, improved child and community health (MDG 4) during various water projects, or working towards environmental sustainability (MDG 7) during assignments in eco-tourism. We also pride ourselves on continuing to use our international networks to foster global partnerships between like-minded organisations (MDG 8).

ABV is committed to its continued support of and contribution to the MDGs. It also recognises that these goals are only the first step to ensuring a world where each individual can live with dignity.