Fall 2023 Newsletter

Voices for CHANGE

When the Bells are Silent: The Race Against Famine in Africa

“The thing I miss the most is the bells ringing as I take my animals out to graze. Those bells are the sound of wealth and good fortune. They mean milk and food for my family. Now we no longer hear those bells. Most of my animals have died during the three years the drought has been with us.”

Diyaara lives with her family of 20 in Abdiwako, Kenya. The people of this area are experiencing the longest, hardest-hitting drought ever.

Diyaara’s words paint a vivid picture of how close to the edge they are living.

“Life was good four years ago. We had our animals with us here. We milked them and used their products. We planted vegetables and sold them to markets in nearby towns.

We used to have three meals a day. But a er the drought, the crops dried o and we lost our livestock. I lost all my goats and lived o my savings until the last penny.

If the situation could change — if the youth could get means to earn a living and the young ones could get access to education — then we will smile and be happy again.”

Africa is experiencing a humanitarian nightmare, with 28 million people across the Horn, East and Central Africa at risk of severe hunger from persistent, climate-fueled drought.

You’ve helped Oxfam and our partners in Kenya provide cash transfers to over 4,000 households in Wajir County, Kenya.

You’re helping us call on the international community for a massive mobilization of humanitarian aid. And providing urgent, life-saving assistance — along with longer-term programs to help protect communities from future climate emergencies.

Please help keep our voices raised — for swift humanitarian aid, and for climate justice.

Photo Credit: Mark Wahwai/Oxfam

Water — the Key to a Brighter Future

For many decades, Oxfam has been known as the leading water experts in international development.

Through your support, our work in the Horn, East and Central Africa is a testament to these years of experience.

With our local partners, you have helped us respond urgently to climate change. Which means the difference between life and death to families like Catherine Bahati’s. And a brighter future for the next generation.

“We used to experience bumper harvests. en our people started cutting down trees and soon enough nature worked against us. e area dried up and we could not access any water.

I was born in this country — I have experienced water scarcity for years. We have had to walk long distances to fetch water for many years. Our parents did it, and their parents did it. We don’t want our children to experience the same fate.

In this region, having livestock is everything. We do not have an alternative source of livelihood. When we lose our livestock, due to lack of water, we are le stranded.”

Oxfam and our partners have rehabilitated

Donkeys ahead trekking to a water spot with jerricans on their backs in Badana, Kenya.

boreholes here, laid water distribution pipes and dispensing units so that people like Catherine can access water safely. We’ve provided water storage jerricans and purification tablets, too.

Catherine is now the treasurer of the water committee.

“I owe it to my community to ensure they have running water at any given time.”

In solidarity, we feel exactly the same way!

containers. Halima lives in Modogashe and is helped by the Cash Transfer Programme and NFI (Non Food Item) distribution.

Her Future Her Choice: Report from Sekota Town, Ethiopia

Report filed by: Jennifer Alldred, Fundraising Manager, Oxfam canada

“31 child marriages have been stopped here.”

After more than 7 years of working at Oxfam, I don’t think I’ve ever heard more powerful words.

I was in Sekota Town, in Northern Ethiopia.

This is an area with a long history of poverty, child marriage, teen pregnancy and gender-based violence. Exacerbated by two brutal years of conflict.

Sekota itself was a hot spot in the conflict, and it’s now a host community for thousands of internally displaced people, putting additional strain on resources and humanitarian needs.

Thankfully, the medical centre is largely intact. This is where women and girls receive sexual and reproductive health care, infection prevention and counselling.

It’s also headquarters to our Her Future Her Choice program. With donor support, the project has so far trained more than 20 support staff in HIV/AIDS, gender-based violence and psychosocial support.

The result? A decrease in teen pregnancies, maternal mortality and sexually transmitted diseases.

That’s where I met a group of 15 young boys and girls attending youth groups. They enthusiastically told me how they help give out information about the health centre — and the availability of support and contraception. They also spread the word that violence against girls is not acceptable.

This is also where I met Woldi, a 17-year-old young man, active in the youth group. Woldi is a great example of how important it is that we include men and boys in our work for women’s rights.

He explained that one of the major issues facing youth in Sekota is unemployment. Boredom leads to addiction and risky behaviour. Which can lead to violence.

When he sees a youth struggling, Woldi can now refer them to counselling. And he’s a role model in his family and community.

I left Sekota energized by the words one of the youths told me …

“We are the generation that will create change .”

Jen Alldred & Fatuma Shiedeh, Manager, Humanitarian Unit with Oxfam Canada

When Women Lead

Supporting women to be leaders is the key to ending poverty.

Research shows us that a world where women are leaders is less poor, more peaceful and more just.

Yet, only one in ten negotiators at peace talks are women. Only about one in ten police officers are women. And women make up fewer than 21% of national legislators.

Oxfam launched the Women’s Transformative Leadership initiative across numerous countries and programs to help bring about this more peaceful, more just world.

We’re investing in projects in 87 countries that support women to become leaders in every aspect of their lives. This work enables women and men to work together to create policies that are fair, lasting and sustainable.

• In Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines, our Creating Spaces project helped change the attitudes that led to violence against women and girls;

• In Guatemala, we helped fight against the marginalization of Indigenous women by building up grassroots Indigenous women’s organizations;

Melky is an advocate for female leadership in his village, and ensuring there are budgets assigned for women.

• And in Pakistan we helped strengthen the leadership of local women’s rights organizations to battle human rights violations against women and girls.

In Indonesia, through Oxfam’s local partner, Ruth Floriana Rasi (known as Mama Ruth) has learned important skills to manage her virgin oil business. Skills like pricing, packaging, labelling and legal certification.

Her products are now selling more widely, and she has a better income.

And now Mama Ruth has become a community leader herself.

“I am the woman forum leader. e name of it is Sehati, which means One Heart. We named it Sehati, so that even if we have it rough, even when it’s tough, we’re still together.”

Photo Credit: M. Nugie and Andito Wasi/Oxfam

Photo Credit: M. Nugie and Andito Wasi Oxfam

Dear fashion industry, poverty is not a good look

You’re helping us urge fashion brands to stop making profits on the backs of women’s poverty.

While you and I wear the clothes they’ve made, garment workers used by our biggest fashion brands are living in poverty — not paid enough to cover the basics of life, like food and decent shelter.

Oxfam supporters have been raising their voices to join with ours in demanding a change. In Oxfam’s What She Makes campaign, we’re asking clothing companies to take the next step in creating a fair fashion industry.

Recently, 43,000 Canadians signed a petition seeking robust corporate accountability legislation — to ensure that companies that exploit their garment workers are called to justice. That’s 43,000 people saying No to clothing companies that peddle in misery.

This is just one campaign in Oxfam’s work for women’s economic justice.

We all know that around the world, women perform the worst work. But they also earn less than men, and their situation is only made worse with the widening wealth gap.

Did you know that in many countries, husbands still have the right to stop their wives from taking jobs?

When a woman is paid a fair and living wage, she not only lifts herself out of poverty — she lifts her family out, too. Then her daughters can go to school, leading to a brighter future for themselves.

Domestic workers are another group of women vulnerable to abuse. They are frequently excluded from labour protections. They often face economic insecurity and are at increased risk of violence.

You’re helping us demand change and fight for women’s rights.

Oxfam Staff and Partners Delivering 40k+ signatures demanding corporate accountability legislation.

Photo Credit: Caroline Leal/Oxfam

Photo Credit: Banung Ou/Oxfam

The women of the future need you!

You can keep working towards your vision of a more just world by remembering Oxfam in your Will.

Leaving a bequest in your Will is easy, and helps ensure that Oxfam’s humanitarian aid and social justice work can continue for generations to come.

There are many ways to leave a bequest to Oxfam. One way is the gi of an asset.

This could be property, a house, a vehicle, or even a piece of art. When you give a gift of an asset like this, you keep control of that asset for as long as you need it.

You can direct a percentage of that asset to Oxfam — so you can still direct the majority of it to your family or any other individual.

And of course, you can always change your mind.

Many supporters have contacted us to say that they are including Oxfam in their Wills. And also, how proud their families have been when they’ve let them know.

Leaving a gift in your Will is a beautiful way to be remembered — and to know that your values live on long into the future.

Please contact us for more information.

STAMPING OUT POVERTY — FOR 35 YEARS!

They are a small and mighty group doing good work.

Oxfam Canada’s Stamp Program has raised an incredible $500,000 to stamp out poverty!

That’s because of the dedication of Bill Woodley and a team of hard-working volunteers. Every week, they come into the office — coordinating the collection of stamps and postcards from different countries around the world.

This year, the Stamp Out Poverty program raised over $14,000 which is going directly to Oxfam’s Emergency Response fund, helping deliver clean water, food, shelter and more to communities hit by crisis.

If you’d like to help out, please contact stamps@oxfam.ca

Thank you to all our brilliant volunteers to this amazing fundraising achievement — and making a difference to so many people.