Don't Look Back - The David Bussau Story - Phillipa Tyndale

David Bussau is a man of integrity and the world benefits from his commitment to this.

2004 was my first real experience of going into poverty stricken regions in South Africa and feeling the overwhelm of suffering in places such as Kwa Zulu Natal. Upon returning I was sitting back in the comfort of my parents lounge room in Boorhaman and Mum suggested I read a book she had just finished. The David Bussau story is a very enlightening story about someone who was able to go beyond the sense of being overwhelmed to really make a difference in developing countries. I found I could not put the book down – it follows the life of David Bussau from when he was abandoned by his parents as a child and chronicles the achievements he has made in his life since. His life changed forever with his trip to Darwin to help afer Cyclone Tracy decimated the town. It has parallels with the Tsunami as for those volunteers heading to affected areas life will never be the same again. David Bussau then worked in Indonesia and began programs that were not only locally sustainable but were able to transform whole communities. His story is one that highlights the importance of not creating a dependency mentality and the challenges with empowering local communities with very few resources. His story is one of successes and failures and of normal family challenges. If you want to start thinking about global communities and how it is possible to break the cycle of poverty this book gives you great insight into the complexities that exist and the resilience required to really make a difference.

Review by Kathy McKenzie