Quotes from Industry / DSA Colleagues

The WFDSA reputation has made it the largest international platform for collecting best practices in direct selling promotion. We discuss the most pressing topics of the day: the digitalization of the industry, new forms of working with members, the COVID-19 pandemic challenges, etc.

The DSA of Ukraine holds an annual educational event in Kiev with the support of the WFDSA. This helps us to strengthen the reputation of direct selling, develop horizontal ties with other associations and involved key Ukrainian figures in international dialogue. The World Federation is a key partner of our association in all initiatives for the industry”. Nadia Bedrychuk, Executive Director, DSA of Ukraine

“The WFDSA is an extremely valuable point of reference and guidance to me in my role as Secretariat of the Direct Selling Association of South Africa. It is comforting to know that a wealth of knowledge and experience about the direct selling industry worldwide is an e-mail, phone call or WhatsApp message away. Thank you to Tamuna, Maureen and everyone else that it is involved at the WFDSA for your ongoing support and guidance.” Imtiaz Ebrahim, Secretariat, DSA of South Africa

“It is always great to connect with DSA colleagues from around the world, via the WFDSA, to learn about each others challenges and triumphs. This helps to ensure that we can continue to promote ethical business practices and the direct selling opportunity in a coordinated and confident way.” Peter Maddox, President, DSA of Canada

“Indian Direct Selling Association is proud of its affiliation with WFDSA. The platform provided by WFDSA has not only helped us in showcasing the Indian Direct Selling industry on a world platform but has also helped us in presenting the merits of the industry before the domestic stakeholders in an enhanced manner. WFDSA has created a worldwide Direct Selling ecosystem where people from one country or region now have access to latest developments happening around the world through knowledge sharing and participation in discussion forums. Needless to mention, this has not only brought the different associations together but has also helped individual countries to improve their domestic legal and regulatory systems by adopting international best practices. The continuous guidance provided by WFDSA and hard work of individual national associations has resulted in Direct Selling emerging as one amongst the few growth exhibiting industries in an otherwise global scenario of economic downturn. Direct Selling has a big role to play in revival of the world economy and WFDSA is going to emerge as a key driver in that.” Chetan Bhardwaj, General Manager, Indian DSA

“We are on the verge of closing a year 2020, that has been very difficult for everyone, but that at the same time, has leaved many lessons learned along the way. Nobody was prepared for what came from March and each country has been able to get ahead in the middle of the adversity of a situation that was not on anyone’s radar.

2020 not only had a negative impact on the health of the population, with the departure of many people who could not survive this disastrous pandemic, but also, which seriously affected the economy of each of our countries.

In the Direct Selling sector, the DSA’s maintained a special role, as we were able to support our companies in many ways. In the case of Ecuador, the AEVD was the spokesperson and the link between the Committee of Emergency Operations, a government body made up of the highest authorities of the country and the sector we represent. Thanks to the understanding of the government authorities, direct selling was one of the first industries that was be able to reactivate.

Likewise, the constant contact through the meetings held permanently with the WFDSA and with the Latin American DSAs that we held gave us some light and information about what was happening in other countries and the measures that were being taken, both by their governments, and more important, by associations with a goal to adopt the best practices of each one, to provide the best support for our members.

Like never before, this immense capacity to connect in the world was surprising. In minutes, we were talking to countries in Asia, Europe, the United States, Canada, Africa, Latin America and around the world.

I don’t know if it was a matter of personal reflection, but in my case, as executive director of the AEVD, every time we met, I became aware of the importance of being articulated at the international level, thanks to the WFDSA and, above all, the benefits and wonders of technology.  How we can today, transcend borders and be connected around the world in a matter of seconds.

Obviously, nothing can replace our face-to-face encounters, but human genius is showing that we can defeat this invisible enemy that has attacked us throughout 2020. The war has not ended, but we are sure that with unity, with teamwork as a sector and with the human mind working at an unsuspected rate in the world, we will be able to move forward and we will be winners in 2021.

Thanks to the WFDSA  through Tamuna Gabilaia , Maureen Paniagua, Garth Wyllie and the entire Federation team, for their important support, in moments as critical as those we live in this year 2020. It is when the work of our associations, takes total relevance and is materialized in positive results for the entire direct selling industry.

I take this opportunity to wish you a very good and healthy new year 2021 for the whole family of direct Selling industry around the world. .” Maria Fernanda Leon, Executive Director, Ecuadorian DSA