ONE Songs for Chinese Workers
ONE Perceptions of Social Welfare in Hong Kong
ONE Working at Home in Indonesia
ONE Education for Minorities in China
ONE Education for Mozambican Girls
r be em pt Se 07 20 poor to afford tuition, governments are
e du c ation for minoritie s c an b e
where most of the population is ethnic
closing these separations. It is about
too poor or too mismanaged to fund
limited.
minorities, we will soon support a
making the dream of going to school
curriculum with a Tibetan orientation.
a reality for a girl named Anatércia
basic education, villages have no schools
For girls around the world, there is
close enough for young kids to get to,
another set of obstacles. When income
In Beijing, a totally different kind
Paulino in Mozambique and for a
secondary schools are boarding schools
is tight, many parents choose to send the
of project is in place: animation is
Tibetan herder named Dela Dongzhi
It’s the middle of September, and
too far away and beyond financial means
son to school, not the daughter. Even
being used to teach children about
in China. It is for making the rights of
the children in Hong Kong are back
anyway, and on and on. The reasons why
when there is enough money, tradition
environmental issues. It is part of our
Indonesian home-based workers and
in school. Clusters of students in their
more than 100 million children can not
can keep girls out of the classroom and
outreach work with youth in mainland
Chinese migrant workers recognised by
pressed and unpressed uniforms, often
go to school are too many to list.
in the home, and married off as a young
China and in Hong Kong. The aim: to
the public and actualised in law.
teenager.
instil a sense of global connectedness
with plaids and pleats, ties of various
In Hong Kong, it is mostly the poorer
sorts (on girls and boys), and the
ethnic minority students, primarily of
The issue of O.N.E looks at a few of the
ubiquitous emblem.
and responsibility.
Yes, this magazine is named O.N.E for a reason.
South Asian descent, who can have
many Oxfam projects against inequity in
There can be so many divisions in
Madeleine Marie Slavick
At the same time, there are millions
difficulty finding an appropriate school,
education. In Mozambique, girls are
the world, by sex, race, class, religion,
Editor, Oxfam News E-magazine
of school-aged children around the
with an appropriate curriculum. In
being assisted through scholarships
ethnicity, education, political affiliation,
Oxfam Hong Kong
world out of school: families are too
Mainland China, too, access to an
and advocacy. In inland rural China,
and more. In a way, Oxfam is all about
emagazine@oxfam.org.hk
especially to increase the number of girls
The hot and dusty village of Pista
The Pista Velha School Council,
Velha has one of the best schools in all
comprised of parents, teachers and
of Zambezia.
attending schools.”
other community members, has been
The council assists with management
One of the poorest provinces in
instrumental in achieving the success
and also work s hard to increase
Mozambique and one of the most
of the school. “School councils are key
community awareness on the importance
densely populated, Zambezia was the
to the improvement of education in
of educating their children. The director
most ravaged region in the 17-year
Mozambique,” confirms Maria de Bom
of the Pista Velha primary school,
civil war that left about one million
Jesus, of the district’s Directorate of
Teresa Manuel Henriques, says that the
people dead, about five million people
Education. “The involvement of the
Council’s participation “has actually
displaced, and many schools, hospitals,
community in the educational system
made my work easier, as I now can
roads and bridges destroyed. Only a
has definitely improved the community
share the responsibilities of managing
fraction of the basic infrastructure has
response to access education and
the school.”
been restored.
Making Education Happen in Mozambique Navin Vasudev writes from Johannesburg
Anatércia (centre) studying to be a primary school teacher
Photos: Oxfam
Making Education Happen in Mozambique
(top) Pista Velha School Council (middle) Anatércia (bottom) Oxfam has supported over 10 schools in Anatércia’s district
A few year s ago, Pi s t a Velha
across the province. The project's focus
granted a ZEP scholarship. The marriage
returning to her hometown and stayed
council members were able to attend
has been in underprivileged areas,
that her uncles tried to force on her
with a supportive uncle five kilometers
management training sessions as
thereby contributing towards improved
never happened. Her mother, who never
away from the family home. Certain
part of Oxfam’s Zambezia Education
regional equity… The five districts
consented to any wedding, proudly sent
relatives just could not accept that she,
Programme, which has been running
supported by ZEP are, in general, doing
her daughter off to school with the
as a girl – now a young woman – could
since 2002. ZEP, for short, aims to
better than the province in regard to
best gift she could offer: cassavas in a
be so independent and so successful.
improve the quality and accountability
girls’ attendance in school at both lower
plastic bag. Anatércia flourished in her
Gradually, there has been a change, an
of educational services, and to improve
and higher primary level.”
new school environment and was an
acceptance, and these days, Anatércia
excellent student. All was well.
has her own home right beside her
access to school, particularly for girls.
One girl named Anatércia Paulino
Oxfam Hong Kong is funding the second
certainly changed her life in many
Then Anatércia became unex-
phase of ZEP, which began this year. The
ways when she got involved with ZEP.
plainably sick. Her body would swell
Now 18 years old, Anatércia has
priority focus is currently on advocacy
At 14, when she was in her fifth year of
every morning, painfully inflamed. She
made a firm decision, “I want to be a
at the district and national level for
school, there was very little money in
suspected that someone was wishing her
teacher. I need to help my brothers and
universal primary education.
mother’s.
the home. Her mother, a widow, could
to fail, and when health checks indicated
sisters.” With ZEP’s continued support,
According to an indep endent
barely make ends meet. The village only
no problem whatsoever, Anatércia
she has already completed two years at
evaluation conducted in December
had a primary school, so to continue on
returned home for a traditional healer
an institute to train up primary school
2006, “In the four years of its existence,
with sixth grade meant enrolling in a
to treat her.
teachers. One more year to go!
the [Zambezia Education] Programme
boarding school in a faraway district.
benefited an estimated 260,000 children
This was not affordable.
of school going age directly and indirectly
Anatércia applied for and was
She recovered, but due to the curse she felt and even fearing death threats,
Navin Vasudev leads Oxfam Hong Kong’s work in southern Africa from his base in Johannesburg.
there were times when she hesitated
Standing in front of a blackboard,
determined to make up for lost lessons
it seemed as if Dela Dongzhi had just
and to study, but the school system there
woken from a dream.
only accepted younger, school-aged
In the dream, he was teaching
in China
Photos: Gao Xiaotao
DREAMING of SCHOOL children. What could he do?
children in his hometown, children who
Dela eventually found about the
usually spent their days tending their
Jigme Gyaltsen Welfare School in the
herds, just like he used to.
Go Luo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Dela, 23, comes from the grasslands
of Qinghai Province which provides
of Gansu, where most of the herders are
four years of primary education and
children. With just two or three years of
two years of secondary, regardless of
schooling at best, most kids there have
age, and for Buddhist monks as well
no choice but to be shepherds. When
as non-monks. The school was set up
Dela was about 20 years old, he was
in 1994 to address the low enrollment
and literacy rates in China’s northwest, and to offer a chance for people like Dela who are typically excluded from the conventional education system. Tuition and board are also waived for orphans and for students from families with financial difficulties. In 2006, the youngest of the 613 students was age 6, and the oldest, 42.
(above) Dela Dongzhi (top right) Monks and non-monks alike study and teach at the school (right) This school bell is used when the electric one malfunctions
About half of the teachers at Jigme
The school has had to do some work
Gyaltsen are monks. In addition to
to attract students. At the beginning,
science, technology, language, politics
many farmers were reluctant to send
and history, they integrate many aspects
their children to Jigme Gyaltsen, but
of Tibetan culture into the curriculum.
after some outreach by the school, and
Students learn traditional Tibetan
when the parents saw the graduates’
Buddhist logic, debating techniques,
achievements, they came to see its
and scriptures: these make up two
value. Now, Tibetans from provinces as
lessons of each school day.
far away as Sichuan are sending their
In 2000, among the first 22 graduates,
children to the school. Jigme Gyaltsen is
five took the universit y entrance
becoming well known across China:
examination, and all succeeded. Over
magazines have published over 2,000
the next five years, there have been a
student articles, the school itself has
total of 201 graduates, of whom 89 went
published 38 books of students’ works,
on to teach at monasteries, 11 stayed on
and there is a bilingual Chinese-English
to teach at Jigme Gyaltsen, 18 became
website (www.fulixx.com).
teachers at various boarding schools,
Dela graduates this year. The future
22 were preparing for the university
may not be as simple as his dream. Yet, a
entrance examination, 4 started their
teacher’s greatest hope for a student – a
own businesses, and the remaining 57
caring heart – is already in the making.
were accepted at various institutions of
Adapted from an article by the poet, Gao Xiaotao, in CAN Magazine, June 2007, translation by Tseng Huei, Oxfam Hong Kong volunteer.
tertiary education.
When Home is a Factory Julia Kalmirah writes from Jakarta I first met Sutarti on a field visit in Malang, East Java. It was around this time last year. Energetic, cheerful, and spirited, she has been self-employed in embroidery and tailoring for many years, a labour rights advocate for about 10 years, and in 2005, she was elected as National Coordinator for
if they urgently needed financial
the Indonesian Home Based Women Workers Association. Sutarti took me around the ‘factory villages’ by motorcycle. Homes laid out just like a production line, one after another, house by house, workers inside producing and producing and producing, day in, day out. Just like in a factory, most of the workers are women, trying hard to bring in income for the family. I remember our first stop. When she
girls, and elderly women all busy working with feathers. As we approached, I could see that they were making shuttlecocks for badminton. They welcomed us in and started to tell us about their jobs, all the while continuing to work with the goose feathers and cork. They had to buy their own materials, and usually made 84 shuttlecocks in a day, 12 to a box, 7 boxes, with each box retailing at 15,000 Rupiah, of which they could Sutarti talks about the industry and its several roles: juragan (collectors), the
finance management, fair trade, and other topics.
We then went to the next ‘factory-
Self Employed (SE), and the Putting Out
The Association is campaigning
village’ where we met with a woman
System (POS). The collector acts likes
for more rights and is bringing their
who makes a wide range of bamboo
the big boss who markets the products
cause to the public eye. This outreach is
utensils, all by hand. For the past 15
and tends to make the most money.
needed, because ironically, even though
years, she has carved product after
The SE, like independent business
the numbers of informal workers is
product, refining the edges, drying
people, receive orders from collectors
increasing in Indonesia, their problems
out the items, and sometimes weaving
or other SEs, while the POS are the ones
and concerns are not that widely
the bamboo too. She makes up to 100
who manufacture the goods, often by
known. The advocacy seems to be
products a week, and earns about 150
hand.
making progress. Nowadays, some
Rupiah for each one. In a month, that’s
It is such an informal industry, Sutarti
groups are seen to be similar to labour
only enough to buy 15 litres of rice!
says, and about 70 per cent of Indonesia’s
unions and receive support from the
(Indonesians use litres for both dry and
workforce are in the informal sector.
government, such as access to credit
liquid goods.) “Ridiculous,” I sigh to
There are no written contracts between
and insurance. Yet there is still a long
myself, “so little!” I feel my head fill with
collectors and SEs, who often face non-
way to go. For one, the Association
rage and pressure building.
payments. The situation for POS is even
wants to be acknowledged as a national
direr. Low wages, no public holiday, no
organisation, which would bring the
health plan, no workers’ compensation,
group more leverage and its members
no assistance to pay for the electricity
more benefits.
About 70% of Indonesia’s workforce is ‘informal’ – without employment contracts and little job protection. Sutarti’s Association supports these workers, such as these home-based workers in Malang. / Photos: Julia Kalmirah
about public perception on the
on government aid with a loss of
welfare system in Hong Kong,
self-respect.
particularly about recipients of
Ox fam Hong Kong and the
Comprehensive Social Security
Centre for Social Policy Studies
Assistance (CSSA) for low-income
of the Hong Kong Poly technic
residents.
University released “The Public
A b o u t 6 0 p e r ce nt of th e
Perceptions of CSSA in Hong Kong”
respondents see the CSSA system
on 12 July. It was the result of
as seriously abused, and that
interviews with more than 1,000
unemployed p eople and new
Hong Kong residents.
and other production costs in their
Hearing about and seeing these
home-factories. Workers in the sector
women’s hard lives at their factory-
have almost no rights. It is this injustice
homes really made my whole body
that has motivated Sutarti to fight for
tense. I felt so stiff, as if I would crack.
their rights.
One of the workers accompanying me
Her Association has received support
on the field trip happened to be an
from several places. Oxfam Hong Kong
expert in massage, so she gave me a
has been supporting since 2005, and
relaxing treat at our hotel that night. It
the motorcycle we used on the trip was
was the first night she had ever stayed in
donated by the Ministry of Trade and
such a nice hotel, she said, although by
Industry. Sutarti uses it frequently, as
international standards, the three-star
there are now more than 60 member
hotel would be called modest.
groups in seven provinces ; in her
In all, we learned a lot from each
province alone, there are about 15,000
other. I for one am thankful for the
members. The group sees fair trade and
opportunity to meet these strong
social security as their top goals, and
women who so work long and hard
they can attend training in leadership,
every day in their homes.
in Indonesia
Julia Kalmirah leads Oxfam Hong Kong’s work in Indonesia
More than a dozen newspapers in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland
the bulk of the recipients.
the house-factories, I could see women,
unpaid bills.
support. Many associate a reliance
migrants from Mainland China form
parked the motorcycle in front of one of
keep 5,000. They said they had a lot of
A survey was recently released
The facts are otherwise. Current
China covered the launch of the
government statistics show that
survey, which is part of a larger
elderly people, people with
effort by Oxfam and various NGOs in
disabilities, and single parents
Hong Kong to urge the Government
comprise nearly 80 per cent of all
to review the entire social security
recipients – new arrivals and the
system ; to guarantee people’s
unemployed just over 20 per cent.
right to social security; to improve
Meanwhile, official figures also
people’s understanding towards
reveal only 167 cases of CSSA fraud
CSSA; and to raise the wages of the
in 2006, out of the 290,000 cases.
low-income sector.
It is also disturbing that about
As it is now, many barriers exist
60 per cent of the respondents
in Hong Kong, such as stigmatisation
stated that they would only apply
towards CSSA and discrimination
for CSSA as their last option. In
against new migrants and ethnic
another question, about 30 per
minorities. There is also no minimum
cent said they would not apply even
wage.
Hong Kong: Perceptions and Reality
The survey was released around the same time that these two posters (above) were put up along the Hong Kong subway system by the Concerning CSSA Review Alliance, in which well-known Hong Kong personalities joined the call for a better social security safety net. The Alliance (www.cssaalliance.org) also co-published a book (in Chinese) with Oxfam documenting the lives of ten CSSA recipients (www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/ list?lang=iso-8859-1).
ONELINKs
It seems that kids all around the world love animation – on television, in films, computer games… But most adults don’t think that children can be capable of creating it themselves, and many
knew that children would be more
grown-ups don’t see animation as
inspired to think more – and care
anything more than silliness.
more – about environmental issues if
OXFAM HONG KONG WEBSITE www.oxfam.org.hk
The adults at Friends of Nature
animation was involved. The programme,
know differently. The environmental
supported by Oxfam Hong Kong, has
non-profit in Beijing invited experienced
been producing some creative results.
Oxfam Hong Kong has created more
professionals from Denmark to come to
Artwork by primary and secondary
than 30 books, some in Hong Kong, some
China and train teachers and community
school students can be viewed here:
in Taiwan, some on the Mainland, some in
workers in animation. Friends of Nature
http://www.fon.org.cn/cartoon/.
Chinese, some in English, some bilingual,
Photos courtesy of Friends of Nature, Beijing
OXFAM BOOKS
and some mostly with images, which cross all languages. Through publishing the voices of poor people around the world, we want to change the way people think about poverty. We want justice. Oxfam recently supported the publication of 西部．希望 大山里的孩子們 (a book on education in western China, in Simplified Chinese). To order books: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/bookstore/list?lang=iso-8859-1
E-NEWS Issued every month in English and Chinese, this e-bulletin provides the latest from Oxfam Hong Kong, with bite-sized news on emergencies, campaigns, community projects, public education and fundraising. Oxfam e-News is emailed to more than 80,000 volunteers, campaigners, donors, Oxfam Trailwalkers, council members and subscribers. The Editor is Echo Chow. To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/16830 (English version)
www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/7263 (Traditional Chinese)
www.oxfam.org.hk/public/contents/7265 (Simplified Chinese)
MOKUNG Oxfam Hong Kong publishes this quarterly magazine in Traditional Chinese. Mokung, which means both “no poverty” and “infinity”, highlights a different aspect of development in each issue. The Editors are Tung Tsz-kwan and Fiona Shek. The September 2007 issue will focus on Hunger. To subscribe: www.oxfam.org.hk/public/
CHINA: Two Songs by Working Youth Arts Group
Work and Honor The worker has honor! Hey! The worker has honor! High-rises built by us Wide, shiny roads built by us We whose work can be bitter, whose work can tire Dignity and respect We make a living from our strength The worker has honor! Hey! The worker has honor!
public/contents/category?cid=1017&lang=big5
songs at construction sites, factories, and places where workers and their children can gather. They have over 200
CAN
performances behind them, including television appearances, a concert at the
Oxfam Hong Kong is supporting this
Great Hall of the People, and a CD. In
new photo-based magazine in China.
July 2007, they performed at a concert
CAN means both “look” and “do” in
in Hong Kong.
Chinese, and each 150-page edition (in
“At the beginning,” the band leader
Simplified Chinese) examines a different
Sun Heng said, “our idea was quite
topic. The next edition, in October, will
simple… we hoped to comfort people
focus on workers and their products.
coming from the rural areas to the
The Chief Editor of the quarterly is the
cities to work. We hoped to add a bit
writer-photographer, Liu Wai Tong. CAN
of warmth to their dull working life… But later, more and more workers
surrounded us after the shows and told us they wanted to learn things such as
is available on the mainland and at select bookshops in Hong Kong.
computers, and they didn’t know what
A generation
to do when they employers bullied
We are the ones making a new world
them. Many children of these workers
A creation
played in rubbish heaps, not having a
Hand in hand Shoulder to shoulder
chance to go to school. We felt that only
Standing tall Braving ahead
Remember the Year
What can people do about Climate Change and Poverty?
and we should do something more.”
Please tell us at:
in Beijing where migrant workers can go
I left my hometown
ONEquestion
singing was not adequate to help them The Group went on to set up centres
I remember the year
http://forum.oxfam.org.hk/?c_lang=eng
for legal consultation, over 50 classes,
That gave birth to me, nurtured me
a library, social services, emergency
In my dream tonight, I return
support, and more. Oxfam Hong Kong
To stay beside my mother, warm
has supported their work.
The river in my town has risen The faraway must fly farther away Peach trees are in full blossom
Mokung is online at www.oxfam.org.hk/
travels around China and performs their
We are workers of a new era
When will the children return home?
bookstore/?lang=big5
The Working Youth Arts Group
Photos: Zhao Tielin
Adapted from Songs For Workers’ Children, by Ban Lee, in 草根譚．談草根 — 中國婦女．民工． 農民 (Hong Kong: Oxfam Hong Kong, 2006). Songs translated by May Tam, Ban Lee and Madeleine Marie Slavick
Hong Kong
17th Floor, 28 Marble Road, Northpoint, Hong Kong O. N .E, published in the middle of each month, is also online:
www.oxfam.org.hk/one//
COVER: Happy child, Cambodia / Courtesy of Xavier Comas / www.opalworks.net
ANIMATED CHILDREN