Why We Tell Success Stories

I’ve been looking through responses to TEDxChange and want to explain why we tell success
stories.

It’s easy to think that nothing is changing in the poorest parts of the world, that no progress is
being made. But the facts show there has been real and dramatic progress – whether it’s the
declining number of child deaths globally, the advances made against AIDS, or the halving of
malaria deaths in several countries – especially over the past decade.

I believe that sharing stories of success is one of the most important things we can do to
motivate and inspire governments, partners and individuals to support investing in effective
development aid.

When Bill and I travel, we have been deeply touched by personal stories of lives changed for
the better. We see great things happening on the ground – lives being saved, diseases
prevented, and people lifting themselves and their communities out of poverty.

That’s why I’m sharing stories through events like TEDxChange, and also through the
upcoming Living Proof event on October 18th. Together with our partners, we want to get
these stories out and inform the conversation around global health and development
investments.

Living Proof is about telling the real story of the incredible progress being achieved by
people in developing countries, backed by the support of governments like ours.

With Living Proof, we’re asking people to celebrate – and share – the stories of those who are
achieving success. Bill and I will be sharing more about Living Proof in the next couple of
weeks.

Real lives. Real progress. Living Proof.