Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

8
Oxfam Hong Kong wishes you a happy and healthy year in 2012, and in the Year of the Dragon. The New Year holidays can be a time for us all to spend time with family and loved ones, to reflect a little on the year’s hard work, the past and the future. Festivals can be a time to count our good fortune, and at the same time spare a thought for the quality of life of others around the world. In many places, millions of women, farmers, workers and elderly people do not get enough food to eat, or can not provide properly for their children, even when they have worked very hard for a whole year – and the whole of their lives. There are many reasons why people still face poverty. These include unfair and unjust social systems, economic shocks and uncertainty, and natural or man-made disasters. The global social and economic environment is changing rapidly. This provides both opportunities and challenges for international organisations such as Oxfam Hong Kong working on the underlying causes of poverty. All too often, economic systems have produced more consumption of resources, more pollution, and a wider gap between rich and poor people. We live in a resource-constrained world where essential items for a better life, such as food and energy, are seeing large and unpredictable increases in cost. In the year ahead, Oxfam will continue its work calling for secure food supplies for all people, and action to help poor people cope with the impact of climate change on their lives and their farming. As usual, this work will include practical projects at the community level, working with grassroots partner organisations, combined with the essential tasks of policy advocacy, factual research and public education. To break the cycle of poverty requires a strategy that seeks positive change at many levels: in the individual and her family, in the village, in NGOs and businesses, and in the corridors of power where high-level decisions are made that can either help or harm entire communities. With your support, we can help bring fair opportunities to poor people so that their hard work to results in permanently improved lives. With your support, poor people can also look with hope and optimism to the years ahead. More than two million people in Laos live in poverty. Oxfam Hong Kong is working in Huaphan and Phongsaly, two of the most impoverished provinces in the north of the country, assisting communities there to develop and sustain their livelihoods, and improve their food security. Food and Livelihoods in Laos John Sayer Director General [email protected] www.oxfam.org.hk 2590 6880 3120 5000 Printed on100% recycled paper using soy oil-based ink Editorial Committee: Kanie Siu, Karen Chung, Maranda Wong, Brenda Lee OXFAM HONG KONG: 17/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong Oxfam Hong Kong Interactive Education Centre: 9/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong The Oxfam Shop: LG 8, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central (Tel: 2522 1765) Working with people against poverty www.oxfam.org.hk | 2520 2525 45 Jan 2012 Issue Dear Oxfam Friend, Words from Director General Photos by: Christina Chan

description

livelihoods projects in Laos, emergency relief, Oxfam activities

Transcript of Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

Page 1: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

Oxfam Hong Kong wishes you a happy and healthy year in 2012, and in the Year of the Dragon. The New Year holidays can be a time for us all to spend time with family and loved ones, to reflect a little on the year’s hard work, the past and the future. Festivals can be a time to count our good fortune, and at the same time spare a thought for the quality of life of others around the world. In many places, millions of women, farmers, workers and elderly people do not get enough food to eat, or can not provide properly for their children, even when they have worked very hard for a whole year – and the whole of their lives. There are many reasons why people still face poverty. These include unfair and unjust social systems, economic shocks and uncertainty, and natural or man-made disasters. The global social and economic environment is changing rapidly. This provides both opportunities and challenges for international organisations such as Oxfam Hong Kong working on the underlying causes of poverty. All too often, economic systems have produced more consumption of resources, more pollution, and a wider gap between rich and poor people. We live in a resource-constrained world where essential items for a better life, such as food and energy, are seeing large and unpredictable increases in cost. In the year ahead, Oxfam will continue its work calling for secure food supplies for all people, and action to help poor people cope

with the impact of climate change on their lives and their farming. As usual, this work will include practical projects at the community level, working with grassroots partner organisations, combined with the essential tasks of policy advocacy, factual research and public education. To break the cycle of poverty requires a strategy that seeks positive change at many levels: in the individual and her family, in the village, in NGOs and businesses, and in the corridors of power where high-level decisions are made that can either help or harm entire communities. With your support, we can help bring fair opportunities to poor people so that their hard work to results in permanently improved lives. With your support, poor people can also look with hope and optimism to the years ahead.

More than two million people in Laos live in poverty. Oxfam Hong Kong is working in Huaphan and Phongsaly, two of the most impoverished provinces in the north of the country, assisting communities there to develop and sustain their livelihoods, and improve their food security.

Food and Livelihoods inLaos

John SayerDirector General

[email protected] 68803120 5000

Printed on100% recycled paper using soy oil-based ink

Editorial Committee: Kanie Siu, Karen Chung, Maranda Wong, Brenda LeeOXFAM HONG KONG: 17/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong KongOxfam Hong Kong Interactive Education Centre: 9/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong KongThe Oxfam Shop: LG 8, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central (Tel: 2522 1765)

Working with people against poverty

www.oxfam.org.hk | 2520 2525

45Jan 2012

Issu

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Dear Oxfam Friend, Words from Director General

Pho

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by:

Chr

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Page 2: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

FOCUS

FOCUS

[email protected]

Thailand

Myanmar

Cambodia Vietnam

China

HuaphanHuaphan

VientianeVientiane

PhongsalyPhongsaly

India

IntroductionOxfam Hong Kong has been supporting local organisations in Laos since 1994, assisting programmes for better education, agriculture, and women’s reproductive health. In 2007, we opened an office in the capital Vientiane to expand the scope and increase the impact of our work. Currently, we focus on improving the livelihoods of ethnic minority communities in the provinces of Huaphan and Phongsaly through community-based natural resource management, agricultural diversification and community organising, so that farmers can access and control their markets.

First Step to a Better LifeFarmers in remote mountainous villages in Huaphan Province mainly grow rice and maize for a living. They face many challenges: a lack of food, income, and advanced skills in agriculture and livestock. Villagers have told Oxfam, “When we get ill, we have no money to see a doctor.”

In 2010, Oxfam started working with the Huaphan Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Office (FAFO) in eight impoverished villages in the province. Initiatives include mixed cropping (as opposed to a single crop) for more food and income, raising chickens and pigs, a grain bank, and two irrigation systems.

First, Oxfam and FAFO assisted villagers to select five farmers with basic farming and livestock raising skills from each of the eight project villages. These ‘model farmers’ then joined training sessions, a study tour, and were provided pigs, chickens, and various fruit and vegetable seeds.

One of these model farmers, Vounthy, 42, lives in the village of Phong Nga with his wife and daughter, age seven. In the past, the family was short of food for three months of the year. Vounthy said, “Before I joined Oxfam’s project at the end of 2010, my annual income was only HK$1,500 — we would spend HK$300 on my daughter’s education, and the rest on household items and food. So, life was hard for us.”

Vounthy and his wife turned part of a hillside near the village into farmland, and planted cassava, maize, peanuts and vegetables. “A new concept to us, mixed crop cultivation is more labour intensive and time consuming, but less risky than a single crop. After a year, we yielded 600kg of cassava, 50kg of vegetables and 30kg of peanuts. This is mainly for our meals, but we did sell some and earned HK$150.”

Vounthy says the family’s food supply is more secure now. “Before Oxfam’s project, we only had eight chickens. I learned a lot in the training, such as building chicken coops and preventing disease. I also learned not to let the chickens roam around in the mountains because they may die or disappear. Now we have 40 chickens!” Last year, they sold seven chickens, earning HK$200.

With more food and income, the family envisions a better future. Vounthy says, “I am confident that we can further improve our lives.”

Population

Human Development Index

Population living below HK$10 per day

Literacy (age 15+)

Fast Facts on LaosAbout 6,835,000

122nd of 169 countries

About 40%, among whom about 50% live in northern Laos

68.7% can read and write

The family all work in the mixed crop garden.

Poultry is the main source of income for Vounthy’s family. In 2011, they earned HK$200.

Source: Human Development Report 2010, United Nations Development Programme

OxfamProject areasOxfamProject areas

LaosLaos

Page 3: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

To help address food insecurity during the planting and harvest seasons, Oxfam supported residents of Phong Nga to set up a grain bank, with an initial 2,000kg of rice: Oxfam provided 1,000kg while the second 1,000kg was contributed by the 64 families in the village. They formed their own committee to manage the bank, setting guidelines for loans and the interest rate: a maximum loan of 300kg of rice per family, at 20 per cent interest to be paid (in rice) at the next harvest, when families would have a supply to return to the bank.

Grain Bank

Oxfam supported two villages in Viengxay to build irrigation systems.

Somvong learned farming techniques and increased the yield from

700kg to 1,000kg.

Huaphan is mountainous, with relatively little farmland. Residents face food shortages.

This almost empty grain bank in Phong Nga means that villagers with a shortage of rice have borrowed grain for food or for planting during an emergency.

“In this area of Laos, mountains are everywhere and farmland is scarce,” said Somvong, a 26-year-old farmer in Nakhoun. “We used to farm in the traditional way, so our harvests were usually too small to feed us, and if any drought or flood came, our crops would be gone and we would suffer even more.”

Somvong is the only income earner in the family, so he, his wife Pan, and their two children, age four and six, used to live from hand to mouth. Their house was rundown, and when it rained heavily, the family had to take shelter at a neighbour’s home.

“We used to be short of food for two months out of the year, and we had very little meat. I always worried that if I got sick or if anything happened to me, my family would have no one to rely on. Last year, there was a serious landslide in the village after a heavy rain, and stones crashed down the mountain and almost hit our house.” When Somvong recalled the incident, his face still registered shock.

A better life has always been Somvong’s goal, so in 2010, when Oxfam began working in the village, he jumped at the opportunity.

Somvong was selected as a model farmer and received new rice seeds for planting. “We took part in three trainings on new farming techniques and in a study tour to another province to learn from farmers there.”

The new seeds that Oxfam and FAFO introduced grow faster than traditional ones, taking only four months to harvest; with 6kg of seeds, yields can be up to 800kg. Somvong said, “In 2010, we only yielded 700kg of rice, but through the new seeds of the project, the 2011 yield increased to 1,000kg. Adding in the 1,500kg of upland rice, we now have enough rice to eat!”

Oxfam’s community development projects aim at assisting poor farmers to improve their lives in a sustainable way. Vounthy, Somvong and the other model farmers are passing on their skills and experience to other farmers so that everyone can have a better food supply. Change is happening as you read these words.

Somvong (right), Pan (back) and their two children with bags of rice – they are no longer short of food.

A Secure Food SupplyA Secure Food Supply

Page 4: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

• Clean water, sanitation, hygiene activities, and cash support

• Oxfam continues to provide emergency assistance in Dadaab (the largest refugee camp in the world), assisting in the sections of Ifo II, Ifo III, and Kambioos, as well as the host community around the camps

• Oxfam is also assisting in the counties of Turkana and Wajir

Overall, Oxfam has supported over 1 million people through the crisis in Kenya since 1 July 2011.

SEE THE

WORLDSEE THE

WORLD

East Africa Food CrisisSince last year, people in the region of East Africa are facing the worst drought in 60 years, with more than 13 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia at serious risk.

As of 30 November, Oxfam has worked with local partners to provide assistance to more than 2.5 million people across the region. Thanks to people like you, as of December 2011, Oxfam Hong Kong has raised more than HK$10 million to help affected people through the crisis.

More than 26 million people in the southwestern provinces of Guizhou and Yunnan were hit by a severe drought since 2010. In Guizhou, the drought affected more than 20 million people: 11 million people faced water shortages, and more than 3.3 million hectares of crops were lost. In Yunnan, the drought affected more than 6 million people, with 2.36 million people short of water. As of December 2011, Oxfam has allocated more than HK$8 million working alongside local partner organisations to assist affected people in some of the hardest-hit areas.

Guizhou• Puan County: food supply for 1 month for 4,000 people; food supply for 2 months for 500 very

impoverished people; 14 litres of mineral water for 2,495 primary school students

• Ceheng County: food supply for 2 months for 2,700 very impoverished villagers; channelling river water for a water distribution point in two townships; clean drinking water for 20 days for 5,556 people in 2 remote villages

• Changshun County: food supply for 1 month for 6,600 people in two townships

• Jiangko County: 15kg of rice each for 384 people; 30kg of rice each for 3,521 very impoverished people in three townships

• Zhengan County: 100,000kg of rice for 5,333 people in three townships

Yunnan• 922,095kg of rice for 56,211affected people in 15 townships in these 10 locations: Chuxiong

City, Shuangbo, Nanhua, Wenshan City, Yanshan, Funing, Luquan, Milei, Yimen and Ludian

People in Wenshan, Yunnan, receive an emergency rice supply from Oxfam.

• Emergency water supply, building and rebuilding of wells and ponds as well as latrines for more than 173,522 people in the driest and worst affected areas. Each person gets at least 5 litres of water per day – the bare minimum that people need

• Hygiene kits and hygiene promotion for 188,564 people; public campaigns to help stop the spread of water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea

• cash relief, animal health interventions, cash-for-work, and grain for 161,027 people

Oxfam targets to assist 700,000 people through the crisis in Ethiopia.

In Mogadishu, Oxfam works with SAACID which runs feeding centres for malnourished children. In Somali, SAACID means To Help. Here, a SAACID nurse assists a mother and two children. After two weeks of treatment, the children are recovering.

• Treatment for 100,000 acutely malnourished children; counselling for pregnant women, and immunisation services in Mogadishu

• Cash relief for people to purchase what their households need most; food and livelihoods support for 329,147 people in Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Middle Juba, and Afgooye

• Clean water, sanitation infrastructure, hygiene materials (soap and plastic buckets) and training with 980,518 people in South Central Somalia, Gedo, Middle Juba, Lower Juba, Afgooye, Mogadishu, and Hiran

Oxfam has been working with local Somali organisations to implement projects for 40 years

Installing a new Oxfam water tank on the outskirts of the Dadaab refugee camp.

Somalia

Ethiopia Kenya

China Drought

Oxfam’s Humanitarian Responses(August – November 2011)

Page 5: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

Oxfam Hong Kong has worked in over 70 countries, as well as in Hong Kong. We invite you to join us for a visit to the Community Development Alliance, one of many local organisations we support.

Established in 2005, the Community Development Alliance (CDA) encourages the participation of residents in community development as well as advocating for the rights and interests of disadvantaged groups. The alliance is based in Tin Shui Wai North.

Tin Shui Wai is one of the poorest districts in Hong Kong. There are three major issues there: high transport expenses for low-income employees, serious unemployment problems among the youth and middle-aged people, and limited local job opportunities and employment support services. The CDA calls upon the government to extend the existing Transport Support Scheme, to enhance current employment support programmes, and to establish hawker bazaars on vacant sites in Tin Shui Wai.

Date : 25 February (Saturday)Time : 2:30 – 5:00pmPlace to visit : Community Development Alliance (Wang Yat Plaza, Tin Yat Estate, Tin Shui Wai)Meeting Point : 1:30pm, Tsuen Wan MTR Station Exit C

You and your friends are invited. For enquiries, please contact Katie Li Tel.:3120 5264 Fax: 2590 6880 Email: [email protected]

This activity is based on a true story about a Chinese worker. Through a drama in a specially designed space, participants will experience the lives of two teenagers – a factory worker on the Mainland (Siu Ying) and a student in Hong Kong (Nick). Parents and children will see, through our mock factory and bedroom, how poverty is connected to each and every one of us.

Date : 21 AprilVenue : Oxfam Hong Kong Interactive Education Centre, 9/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North PointTime : 2:30 – 5:30pmLanguage : Cantonese (English translation provided)

· For parents and their children aged 9 and over· Please arrive at 2:20pm· Participants will be asked to sit on the floor, please remove your shoes

before entering the Centre

For enquiries, please contact Cara Lin.Tel: 3120 5245 Fax: 2590 6880 Email: [email protected]

Parent-child Exploration Workshop: Siu Ying and Nick

Meeting Organisations in Hong Kong: Community Development Alliance

Oxfam activities

This is our biggest fundraising event to support projects in Mainland China. We invite District Councils, schools, community centres, youth centres, government departments, companies, and places of worship – any group – to sell small packets of Oxfam Rice or to place bulk orders. 

We also invite Oxfam Supporters to volunteer at the event – it’s fun to offer these small bags of rice to the public and see their curious responses!

Oxfam Rice Sale: 12, 13, 19 & 20 May

For more information:Tel: 2520 2525 Fax: 2590 6880Email: [email protected]

Interested parties please fill in the form and fax it to 2590 6880 or mail to us.

Volunteers Needed for Oxfam Rice Sale 2012

Please fax this form to 2590 6880 or send it to Oxfam Hong Kong,17/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Please mark the envelope “Donor Activities”

Name of participant: Age:

Name of participant: Age:

Name of participant: Age:

Parent-child Exploration Workshop: Siu Ying and Nick (21 April)

No. of participants:

Meeting Organisations in Hong Kong: (25 February)

No. of volunteers:

Venue:     □ Hong Kong Island   □ Kowloon   □ Kwai Tsing or Tsuen Wan  □ Sha Tin or Tai Wai

Volunteer Recruitment – Oxfam Rice Sale

Full Name: Age: Oxfam Partner No. (if any): MDOccupation:

Telephone (Day): (Night): Email:Fax:

Oxfam Donor Activities – Reply Form

May 12 (Sat)

May 19 (Sat)

Rice Sale Date Time Slot 112:30 - 14:30

Time Slot 214:30 - 16:30

Time Slot 3 16:30 - 18:30

May 13 (Sun)

May 20 (Sun)

Rice Sale Date Time Slot 110:30 - 13:30

Time Slot 213:30 - 16:00

Time Slot 3 16:00 - 18:30

* We will contact you by late April to confirm the details of the event. * Parents or guardians must accompany volunteers under the age of 14.* A volunteer certificate will be sent to every volunteer by post within 1 to 2 months upon completion of the event.

Pleasetick

Page 6: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

“We visited four villages and met

several self-help groups and families. We witnessed good progress of Oxfam’s

projects, and people were happy that they could improve their lives. Before, villagers could not secure their livelihoods. Oxfam supported them to build water pumps and to attend agricultural training –

this has enabled people to work their way out of poverty.”

- Shirley Yau

Donor Trip to NepalFrom 8 to 15 November 2011, eight monthly donors travelled to Nepal and observed projects supported by Oxfam Hong Kong. Three members – Fanny Tang, Shirley Yau and Suzanne Au – talk about the trip.

Oxfam Snapshots

The year 2011 marked the 30th anniversary of our flagship event, which was held during rainy and humid weather from 18 to 20 November. Our goal is to raise HK$30 million.

A record-high number of 4,436 walkers in 1,109 teams set out from the Start Point in Sai Kung in four rounds, and 3,324 walkers (74.9%) met the challenge of 23 hills and 100 kilometres, arriving at the Finish in Yuen Long within 48 hours. The first two teams to finish were the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison at 12hrs 22min and The North Face - Flight in 12hrs 25min.

John Sayer, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong, said, “Stamina, endurance and team spirit are the essence of Oxfam Trailwalker and of Oxfam’s work against poverty around the world. Eliminating poverty is also a long and arduous journey, needing the same kind of teamwork of Trailwalker.”

This annual event is an opportunity for Oxfam Supporters to meet Oxfam colleagues based in Hong Kong and overseas. We present our achievements over the past year, and our future plans. On 26 November, there was video, certificates for longtime donors and long serving volunteers, and Oxfam Kids and other children enjoyed storytelling with Uncle Hung, who created the Oxfam educational workshop Buddies on a Treasure Hunt, about community, nature and family.

As part of Oxfam’s JUST bite campaign, we created a special exhibition that traveled to 6 districts, 2 universities, and 15 secondary schools from September to November, 2011.

The campaign communicated the complexity of Hong Kong’s poverty, recently aggravated by soaring food prices. As of late November, we gathered 4,968 signatures to amplify the urgent need for policy changes to address the poverty in Hong Kong. Oxfam has urged the Hong Kong SAR Government to assist low-income workers and their families, to improve food bank services, and to implement several other measures such as increasing supply of public housing. (For more, see http://justbite.oxfam.org.hk)

The first team to finish was the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison.

30th Anniversary of Oxfam Trailwalker

Visitors to the exhibition walked through a (mock) tiny cubicle home, a partitioned flat, and a 24-hour convenience store (that in real life, poor people use for hot water and other facilities).

More than 300 Oxfam Partners joined the gathering.

JUST bite! Food and Poverty in Hong Kong

Oxfam Supporters Gathering 2011

“When I shared the trip photos with my family, my brother sneered, ‘Half of your donation goes to administrative costs.’ I replied confidently, ‘Well, we are not giving money directly to people in need, instead, we work with them for solutions to enable them to be self-reliant so that they can lift themselves out of poverty. Therefore, administrative cost* is needed.’ In the past, I didn’t like donating money to charity groups, because I didn’t think it was the solution to ending poverty, but I will continue to support Oxfam because I agree with its ‘helping people help themselves’ work principle.”

- Suzanne Au

Fanny Tang (back row, first from right), Shirley Yau (back row, third from left), Suzanne Au (front row, second from right) with

other monthly donors, Oxfam colleagues and villagers in Nepal.

* Oxfam Hong Kong’s administrative costs were 2.2% in the 2010/11 financial year.

“Oxfam’s motto of “helping people help themselves” is applicable among poor communities

and for me, as my small monthly donation really helps improve people’s lives! On the trip, I could deeply sense the passion and commitment of Oxfam’s colleagues both in Hong Kong and in Nepal. Now, I am back in Hong Kong and whether I am on the MTR, taking a shower, drinking water or breathing

fresh air, I feel grateful.” - Fanny Tang

Page 7: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

MeetOxfamersMeetOxfamers

Q: Please tell us about the poverty situation in the Mekong region.

The Mekong region has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, particularly as a result of rapid economic growth in the larger countries and regional economic integration especially with the larger economies in northeast Asia such as China, South Korea and Japan. However, poverty is still very high in Laos (44%), Myanmar (40%) and Cambodia (40%), and is increasingly concentrated and particularly prevalent amongst ethnic minority communities living in upland areas who depend on subsistence agriculture. Poverty levels have declined overall in Vietnam, but while ethnic minorities make up only 14% of the total population they are 50% of the population living below the poverty line of less than HK$10 a day.

Q: What prevents ethnic minority communities from achieving a better life?

Many of these communities are losing access to their traditional agricultural lands, forests and fisheries due to large-scale logging, mining, hydro-power development, plantations and more. Farmers that are able to produce a surplus have limited access to markets, and they are relatively powerless when compared to the suppliers that provide agricultural inputs and to the buyers that purchase their produce. Many communities are vulnerable to frequent droughts and floods and the longer term consequences of climate change.

Q: How many projects did Oxfam support in the region in the 2010/11 year?

We supported 19 projects in Cambodia, 11 projects in Vietnam, 9 projects in Myanmar and 6 projects in Laos, for a total of 45 projects. Our programme focus on improving the livelihoods and security of upland ethnic minority communities through strengthening community control over land, forests and water; improving agricultural productivity; increasing farmers’ access to and influence over local markets and reducing their vulnerability to natural disasters. We also support communities to defend themselves from external threats such as land grabbing through a combination of research, networking and advocacy.

Q: What are the challenges of implementing projects in the region? There are many! Some of the threats that we are trying to address – such as the loss of land – are occurring very quickly and on an unprecedented scale, but community organising, capacity building and networking can take a long time. We need to find new ways of defending these communities from these threats while still maintaining our commitment to participation and empowerment. As in many countries around the world, power and resources are concentrated in a few areas and amongst a few groups, but in the Mekong, there is also a lot of collusion among government, military and companies. In addition, the judiciary, the press and civil society are relatively weak, which makes it difficult to hold the powerful to account. The space for civil society in some countries in the region is quite limited. Some of the issues we are working on are quite sensitive, and we have to be very careful in managing risks to communities, partners and ourselves.

Q: What are the key roles of your job? I see six roles: contributing to the design and review of our programmes, identifying and responding to new and emerging issues that affect poor people in our programme areas, facilitating linking and learning between different programmes in different countries, ensuring that our programmes meet agreed quality standards and accountability requirements, mobilising human and financial resources for our programmes, facilitating linkages between different parts of Oxfam so we’re all working towards the same goal. Q: What are the crucial components of a successful

development project? There are many. Local ownership of the project, shared vision and values with our partners, long-term commitment, a clear focus on changing the underlying causes of poverty and powerlessness, flexibility and responsiveness to changing conditions, taking calculated risks, learning from mistakes, and adapting as you go. Q: What was your most memorable experience as a

development worker?

That’s hard to say after 20 years! I probably learned the most during my early days as a development worker. I particularly learned a lot from indigenous communities in eastern Indonesia who were affected by large-scale mining by Australian companies, and from fishing communities in southern Thailand who were affected by large-scale prawn farming, mangrove deforestation and industrialised fishing. I learned the importance of linking local struggles to policy change – and I saw the role that NGOs can play in the process, particularly through research, leadership development, capacity building, networking and advocacy. Q: What do you do in your spare time? I like reading, the cinema, going to the gym, and eating out with friends. When I have lots of time to spare, I enjoy adventure sports like trekking, diving, kayaking and skiing. I also joined Oxfam Trailwalker 2009 and 2011. Q: Do you consider yourself a workaholic? No, but the evidence suggests otherwise… I try to strike a balance between work and life but I often fail, particularly when I’m travelling a lot for work! But when I’m in Hong Kong, I prioritise time with my partner and friends, and I keep in touch with friends and family in Australia.

Mekong Team, International Programme Unit, Oxfam Hong Kong

When Chris Adams joined Oxfam Hong Kong in 2007, he brought insights and new ideas of working with people against poverty, as well as his charming signature smile and charisma. The Melbourne-born development worker has more than 20 years of experience working in the development sector in Australia and Southeast Asia. In this issue of Oxfam Express, Chris discusses Oxfam Hong Kong’s work in the Mekong region.

Meet Chris Adams, Regional Manager

Chris Adams

Page 8: Oxfam Express Jan 2012 issue(Eng)

3%3%

7%

19%

11%

57%Others

South Asia(Bangladesh, Bhutan & Nepal)The Mekong

(Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

& Vietnam)

Archipelagic Southeast Asia(Indonesia, Japan,

North Korea, the Philippines & Timor-Leste)

China(The Mainland & Hong Kong)

Africa(Ethiopia, Malawi, Southern Africa & Zambia)

China:Yunnan:Lisu ethnic minority community development and biodiversity preservation project, Diqing

Qinghai:Winter relief project, Yushu Tibetan Autonomy Prefecture

Guangdong:Cultural and legal services and labour education for migrant workers

Gansu:Reconstruction of Gaipai Primary School, Dingxi City

Shaanxi:Integrated intervention regarding violence against women

Sichuan:Humanitarian response to heavy rain in Nanjiang and Pingchang County, Bazhong City

The Mekong:

Others:Bhutan:Support for education in rural Bhutan

Ethiopia:Emergency relief to 37,656 vulnerable people affected by a drought, Oromiya Region

South Asia:

Africa

Bangladesh:Livelihood promotion project in Haor areas

Vietnam:Support for the Oxfam GROW Campaign on climate change and land grabbing

Highlights of new projects(August - November 2011)

827 on-going projects (as of 31 October 2011)* The programme expenditure is subject to audit and will be published in

the Annual Review 2011/2012.

Oxfam Trailwalker 2011

Oxfam $10 Appeal

Companies That Organised Beneficiary Events to Support Oxfam’s Work

Oxfam Partners Recruitment Campaign - Exhibition Area Sponsorship(Aug 2011 to Nov 2011):

Elder-Kingdom.comEquity Financial Press LimitedGravity Partnership LtdHong Kong Broadband Network Ltd.Maggie LaiMartel Immigration Consulting CompanyNatural MusicRicacorp Properties Ltd.Semk Products LimitedSourceEC.comWaterfall Gym

Acknowledgements

Sino GroupChina Hong Kong CityRegentville MallShatin Galleria

Sun Hung Kai Properties LimitedChelsea Heights PlazaChi Fu LandmarkGreenfield GardenPark CentralPort CentreSun Kwai Hing PlazaYuen Long LandmarkYuen Long Plaza

The Link Management LimitedFung Tak Shopping CentreHo Man Tin PlazaHoi Fu Shopping CentreKing Lam Shopping CentreKwong Tin Shopping CentreLai Kok Shopping CentreLei Yue Mun PlazaMing Tak Shopping CentreOi Tung Shopping CentreOn Ting Shopping CentreSheung Tak Shopping CentreTin Chak Shopping CentreTin Shing shopping centreWah Ming Shopping CentreWo Che Plaza

Cheung Kong (Holdings) LimitedKingswood Ginza

Chinacham GroupHilton Plaza

Fortune MallsFortune City One

Hang Lung PropertiesKornhill PlazaLaguna City

Henderson Real Estate Agency LimitedMetro City PlazaThe Trend Plaza

Henderson Property Agency LimitedShatin PlazaShatin Centre

Henderson Sunlight Property Management LimitedSheung Shui Centre

Hopewell Real Estate Agency LimitedHopewell Centre

Kowloon City Plaza

Lands Department

Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentTuen Mun Promenade

Oxfam

Total Programme Expenditure: HK$78 million

(1 July 2011 - 31 October 2011)

Highlights

Principal SponsorState Street Corporation

Logistics SponsorsAsia Miles LimitedCLP Power Hong Kong LimitedPCCW Limited

Official ApparelColumbia

Official FootwearMontrail

Official Energy FoodNature’s Village

Official Outdoor ShopPROTREK

Official Gear Vaude

Official Green Management Partner SGS Hong Kong Ltd.

Official Webcasting SponsorVcast, Inc.

Official Drinks SponsorVITASOY

Oxfam AmbassadorsNancy SitSammy LeungSiu Yee Yuen

Oxfam Volunteer PhotographersLam Hon ManRicky WongTitan Lam

Oxfam Volunteers CHENG, Isaac Wing Hang CHENG, Nicole Wing YinFanny Cheung

Supporting Companies / GroupsChina Resources Vanguard (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.City Telecom (H.K.) LimitedDelifranceFair CircleFotomaxFubon Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedHung Fook TongJapan Home Centre/City LifestyleMarriott Vacation Club Asia Pacific, HKOliver's Super SandwichesOne Concept Group Ltd.ProtrekStore-Friendly Logistics Holdings LimitedThe Diary Farm Company Ltd. - 7 ElevenThe Hongkong Electric Co., Ltd.

Korea Garden RestaurantPeegabooSemk Products LimitedSheep GardenTDM TVThe Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong KongThreeSixty耆聲義工合唱團

Books4YouCreative KidsEC MagazineHealth ActionI Love MamaIndustrial Centre, The Hong Kong

Polytechnic UniversityInterkids English Learning SchoolJustin Wong

2econd floor SALONAEON Stores (Hong Kong) Co., Limited - JUSCOAlkit Company LimitedBlue Door Storage LimitedCeramic PointCLP Power Hong Kong LimitedCommercial Radio Hong KongDBS Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedDrex Fable Fashion Ltd.DSC Holdings Limited