the agency’s largest programmes.
the years!
CSR in Hong Kong
Bali and Climate Poverty
Super-cyclone SIDR Update
Three Schools and 1,000 Wishes in Laos
08 20
Village in Vietnam, in 1997 and 2007
y ar nu Ja
How Vietnam has changed over
revolves around better farming, water,
year, a pilot project began in Thanh
Actually, Oxfam’s work in Vietnam
education and health care in remote
Hoa Province for a pro-poor bamboo
In both 1997 and 2007, Director
started in Hong Kong. In the mid-
rural areas such as where John Sayer
industry; now, in 2008, a regional
General John Sayer visited the same
1980s, tens of thousands of Vietnamese
visited. In 1995, hard-hitting research on
consortium is developing viable business
Oxfam project site in the remote hills
migrants were living here behind
landmines near the old border between
opportunities for the more than one
of Nghe An, a very poor province near
different things to different people.
barbed-wire, in sub-standard temporary
North and South Vietnam helped raise
million bamboo farmers throughout
the Laos border. Residents had worked
More motorbikes and televisions (say
camps. Oxfam lobbied for a more
awareness and support. In 2001, pro-
the Mekong region.
hard to improve their lives, doubling
the men in the village); more respect
humane policy in Hong Kong, and we
poor advocacy on accession terms to
Yes, change is what Oxfam is all
if not tripling their rice crop, the main
from other villages, and daughters
acknowledged that poverty in Vietnam
the World Trade Organization (WTO)
about, in this happy 20th anniversary
source of income. The progress called
who are more marriageable (say the
was one of the root causes of the
drew attention to the importance of
year of Oxfam in Vietnam, and every
for a celebration, and the villagers
women); more beautiful clothes and
refugee problem.
protecting the income of farmers.
year.
threw a party to rejoice: John Sayer was
houses (say the children). Vietnam is the O.N.E feature story
one of the happy guests. Change for the better. Perhaps this is what Oxfam’s projects are all about. Yet, the same change can mean
this month, as the year 2008 marks the
So, in 1988, we began projects in
Since 2004 we have supported the safe
Vietnam – one of the first international
return of people (mostly women and
Madeleine Marie Slavick
development agencies to do so.
girls, and mostly ethnic minorities) who
Editor, Oxfam News E-magazine
20th year that Oxfam Hong Kong has
We h ave h e lp e d b rin g a b o u t
have been trafficked, and preventive
Oxfam Hong Kong
been working in the country – one of
many changes. Core day-to-day work
work with people at risk. In the same
emagazine@oxfam.org.hk
Making Water Run Uphill Words and photos by John Sayer
DAY ONE
I am in a small town in the hills of
central Vietnam, close to Laos. The area has a long history of poverty, particularly among the ethnic minorities who live in these remote and inaccessible villages. There is no hotel. The government guesthouse has elec tricit y and fluorescent lights; when I first came here in 1998, the room had oil lamps and candles. Both times, we use mosquito nets.
in Vietnam
When we made that first visit, local officials brought us to areas with serious poverty and health problems. Tomorrow we will head deep into the hills to visit one of those villages that Oxfam began to work in ten years ago.