Hands-On Philanthropy

I am proud of our work so far. In three years, ARK has become the largest provider of AIDS treatment in South Africa. At last week's dinner, Bill Clinton launched a landmark partnership between ARK and the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative. Together we will take our HIV programs into Mozambique, one of the poorest countries in the world. In Eastern Europe, 1,800 children now benefit from our residential care. And in Britain, we've launched the first ARK Academy, designed to offer quality public education to underprivileged children, and plan to open 11 more by 2012.

While movement of markets can often be measured in minutes or even seconds, my work at ARK has taught me patience. When you are trying to turn around a state-run orphanage, you need to think in terms of months and years. It puts me in mind of the words of a great president, John F. Kennedy, as he set out his agenda for the United States: "All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin."

Being part of ARK over the years has transformed my life. My partners and I hope to continue to transform the lives of many, many more children in the years to come.

Busson is the founder and chair of London-based EIM Group, a $12 billion hedge-fund company, and chairman of ARK.

© 2007