Oxfam Express Sept 2010 Issue Eng

Issue

41

September 2010

More than

Projects against Poverty

just an irrigation system “The construction of the irrigation system not only has improved the food security of the community, but also taught us a good way of working together,” said Luong Thi Bao, 31, a member of a Thai ethnic minority from Pieng O village, Xieng My Commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province in Vietnam.

People in the district town always joked about the remoteness and isolation of Xieng My. “Going to Xieng My is like going to Russia,” they said. The majority of the population in the hinterland is subsistence farmers who depend on agriculture for a living. Due to a lack of land and poor soil quality, most farmers suffered from chronic food shortages for five to six months a year. The lack of water for irrigation was another major cause of crop failure as the rainy season is very short, often lasting for only two to three months a year.

“My husband and I have a small plot of farmland of about 300 square metres in the mountain. We worked from dawn to dark every day, but as there was not enough water for irrigation, we could only have one crop a year which was not enough to fill our stomachs, including my three children,” Luong Thi Bao recalled.

Helping people help themselves To Oxfam, development is a continuing process engaged in by people in need, people who are recognised as decisive players, rather than recipients of aid.

For community development work to be sustainable, it is important that we assist people in need to strengthen their solidarity and enable them to undertake community development themselves.

The construction work began in April 2009.

Villagers were engaged in the project through participatory decision making and shared work.

“We took part in planning, design, construction, supervision, operation and maintenance. All able-bodied men and women in the village have contributed 10 to 15 days of labour work for the construction. We have also elected members of the monitoring committee and a management team to supervise the construction and manage the system,” said another female villager, Lo Thai Than.

The irrigation system, finished in June 2010, consisted of a dam and a 1.5 km-long canal. It channels water from a nearby stream to irrigate 15 hectares of paddy fields of Pieng O village.

A total of 145 households benefit from it. “With the irrigation system, we can grow wet rice and can double the crops. It is estimated that each farmer can harvest 300 kg of wet rice this year. This is enough for my family’s consumption for three more months,” Luong Thi Bao said.

The completion of the irrigation system is not the only measurement of the project’s success. The participatory decision-making process and harmonious community building fostered in the process also count.

Working with people against poverty www.oxfam.org.hk

In 2008, Oxfam supported an integrated community development programme in Xieng My Commune which included the construction of an irrigation system in Pieng O village to enable villagers to grow wet rice in the lowland area.

 Luong Thi Bao is happy that Oxfam’s development projects have help improved food security in her village.

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“We are pleased that Oxfam came here to support our development. It is the first time that the whole village has worked together to finish such a big task. Throughout the construction process, everyone in the village could present his or her ideas about what was good or bad. We believe in shared responsibility and we can use it to achieve other things together,” Luong Thi Bao smiled.

Dear Oxfam Supporters, At Oxfam, our mission is “helping people help themselves”. The participation of poor people in decision making is crucial in the fight against poverty. We are aware of the need for villagers to become more self-reliant and to be able to take charge of community development themselves. So we make sure that community members not only participate in projects, but also take part in meetings and analyse situations that affect their community. In this issue of Oxfam Express, villagers in Vietnam share with us how participation in Oxfam’s development programmes has enabled them to enhance their capacity with confidence to build a sustainable community.

Besides long-term development programmes, development education is another way to tackle poverty. There are many misunderstandings about poverty.

We believe that changing public attitudes is essential in solving the problem. Through interactive workshops and drama, we raise public awareness and improve public understanding, especially among youngsters, about poverty issues in the world. In this issue, we present a report of Oxfam’s development education work.

Poverty is a complicated issue while poverty alleviation is a continuous process requiring continuous commitment from different stakeholders.

We THANK YOU, our long-term partner, for your support, which has enabled us to extend our work to improve the wellbeing of many more people in the world.

 The building of the irrigation system has strengthened community solidarity in Pieng O village. Since then villagers meet often to discuss issues affecting the community. Van Thi Minh Chau (in green T-shirt), Oxfam Programme Coordinator, facilitates a meeting.

Oxfam in

John Sayer Director General Oxfam Hong Kong

Better Education Facilities

Improved Livelihoods

Better Health

Lu Van Mang (left), a villager from Lau Village, Tuong Duong district, joined a cattle-raising project in 2006. He received one cow and training in para-veterinary skills from Oxfam, and now he owns five cows. The family’s livelihood has gradually improved and is now more secure.

Villagers in remote mountainous areas of Nghe An province lack medical and health care services. Diarrhoea, common fever, stomachaches and malaria are prevalent in many villages. Oxfam trained heath workers like Loi (left) to provide basic medical services and consultation for poor villagers.

Nghe An Oxfam Hong Kong has been working in various poverty-stricken districts and communes of Nghe An province since 1993. Since 1997, we have focused on integrated community development initiatives among ethnic minorities in the province.

After 17 years of work, the overall wellbeing of the villagers there has improved.

District

Ky Son Tuong Duong Thanh Chuong

Sincerely,

 The Oxfam-built irrigation system (left) channels water from a nearby stream to irrigate 15 hectares of paddy fields in Xieng My Commune.

Students studying at an Oxfam-built primary school in Khe Nap Village, Ky Son district. Oxfam has supported villagers to build schools in remote areas of Nghe An.

Livelihoods Development

Basic Infrastructure

Community Health

Education

Community Development

Training on farming and livestock raising for farmers

101 water supply and irrigation systems were built, which benefit 22,900 people

51 health workers were trained in some 30 villages

11 primary schools were built, providing 780 children with an education

97 community-based organisations were established in 36 villages

Training to 68 teachers

In each project activity, villagers actively participated in decision making which fosters self-reliant community building

Equipment such as mega speakers, desks and chairs, and bookshelves were provided to schools

Through actively taking part in projects, women gained more access to information, technical training and social activities and their confidence in taking a key role in community building was enhanced

102 cattle-raising cooperatives were set up 146 households (762 farmers) took part in growing vegetables and raising chickens and pigs

2 community houses were built

462 toilets were built Women were trained in health and family planning in 25 villages

13 Village Development Boards were set up in 13 villages

See the World

Big firms must be more socially responsible Transparency is an essential criterion to achieve a high score in Oxfam’s rating system. Of the 31 companies listed in the “leader” (scoring 60 per cent or higher) and “mainstream” (40-59 per cent) categories, 29 responded. Fifty-seven per cent of the respondents had published a CSR report, but only 40 per cent used the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the most widely used sustainability reporting framework worldwide.

Supply chain is another area of concern. Thirty-six per cent said they had no dialogue with their suppliers regarding CSR issues. Sixty-nine per cent of companies actually already have a supplier code of conduct, but only 36 per cent implement it across all of their operations. This has serious implications for ethical practices because of the extensive nature of these big companies' supply chains.

Corporate Social Responsibility 2009 Survey of Hang Seng Index Constituent Companies "If you are the biggest, you are also expected to be the strongest." That is the public expectation of big corporate companies when it comes to corporate social responsibility (CSR). This makes sense, as large companies generally have more resources. Oxfam Hong Kong recently released the findings of its second CSR survey on 42 Hang Seng Index (HSI) constituent companies.

Oxfam rated the HSI companies in six areas: CSR reporting, stakeholder engagement, workplace standards, environmental performance, supply chain, and community investment. Though many companies showed real improvement since last year’s survey, there is still plenty of room for companies to catch up with international best standards on CSR.

In the area of workplace quality, we looked into some corporate practices beyond statutory requirements.

We found that only 23 companies provide paternity leave for their employees, for instance, while the rest neglect the caring duty of fathers.

On the environmental side, it was encouraging to see that 43 per cent of the companies are setting reduction targets on at least one of four items: greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and paper.

However, performance varies significantly. Only the leading companies have set reduction targets on all four items. Group- or division-wide tangible reduction targets are less likely to occur in companies.

This indicates that many companies have failed to adopt a strategic approach to community investment.

“We believe when the private sector adopts policies and practices on CSR into its operations, it helps translate the positive aspects of its business activities, such as economic growth, fair labour practices and good environmental protection, into development that favours poor people,” commented John Sayer, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong.

“All of these are essential for poverty alleviation. But to have the backing and endorsement from the governments and the stock market regulators is crucial as well.”

In addition to calling on HSI companies to improve their CSR policies and practices, Oxfam also calls for stronger government regulation, leveraging on the ongoing Companies Ordinance rewrite effort to strengthen the disclosure of non-financial corporate data based on the GRI standard. We also recommend that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange should require listed companies to publicly disclose their CSR performance as a mandatory listing principle. Oxfam believes both voluntary efforts of companies and mandatory measures imposed by regulators would create – and sustain – the momentum for bringing CSR to a higher level.

Download the report: www.oxfam.org.hk/content/98/content_4371en.pdf

Only 19 per cent of the companies align their community investment goals with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals or national development goals, while 29 per cent have systems to measure the impact of their investments.

Oxfam’s press briefing on 15 April to introduce Corporate Social Responsibility 2009 Survey (left to right): Kalina Tsang, Private Sector Coordinator of Oxfam Hong Kong, John Sayer, Director General of Oxfam Hong Kong, Stephen Frost, Executive Director of CSR Asia

What is it like to

work 15 hours a day?  Oxfam’s poster advocating “a minimum wage that guarantees decent pay”

Ah Fong had always been unsuccessful in finding a job to support her family because she lacked an educational qualification. Her family of four was supported solely by her husband – a cleaning worker with a monthly salary of a few thousand dollars. She finally found a job as a street cleaner.

As Ah Fong recalls, the hardest thing about the job was enduring extreme weather. When the cold wind blew, she was so cold she could not even hold the broom. However, when the temperature was hot, there were many times she almost fainted under the scorching sun. In return, her efforts as a cleaner only brought her HK$5,000 per month,

est Hong Kong has the wid the g on income gap am omies world’s developed econ

equivalent to an hourly rate of just HK$21.

Then she got another job as a cleaner in a residential building. “The wage is the same, but at least I do not need to suffer from the bad weather, so I think it is better than the previous one,” she said. Ah Fong has to clean seven floors and the open area of the building every day. “After deducting the payment for the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), I can only earn HK$4,750. How can this be enough to pay the rent, water and electricity and tuition for my children?” Ah Fong sighed.

To earn a little more, Ah Fong also works as a part-time cleaner for another residential building in the evening. With no lift in the building, she has to carry a big bucket of water and other cleaning supplies and take care of the rubbish floor by floor. She is already exhausted from her daytime job, yet she has to work until 10 pm on average and sometimes until midnight on special occasions like festivals. Nonetheless, she is paid only HK$1,000 for her blood and sweat. She sometimes can collect a few kilograms of scrap cardboard or waste paper and sell it for a few coins, which is barely enough for a meal.

Working 15 hours a day, year after year, the heavy burden has made Ah Fong lose weight, from 100 pounds to less than 80 pounds. The overwork has left her with strained joints in her arms and legs. To save money for household expenses, Ah Fong only uses liniment and medicinal

patches even if the pain becomes unbearable.

The total wealth in Hong Kong has been increasing remarkably in the past ten years. The GDP per capita was HK$162,485 in 1999 but in 2009 it has risen to HK$229,329, an increase of 41.1 per cent. However, among the world’s developed economies, Hong Kong has the widest rich-poor gap, with a Gini Coefficient of 43.4 according to a report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Further evidence was revealed by the Census and Statistics Department that in 2009 the wealthiest 10 per cent of Hong Kong people earned 25 times more than the poorest 10 per cent. The number of employed but poor people, like Ah Fong, exceeds 360,000 and constitutes 11.2 per cent of our total labour force. In other words, one out of nine Hong Kong people is among the “working poor.”

Oxfam Hong Kong and Fair Wages Oxfam believes that everyone is entitled to a fair wage and employment poverty is unfair. We have been advocating for a minimum wage that guarantees decent pay through different means, through publishing the results of our research, writing commentaries in newspapers, and lobbying the government and the Provisional Minimum Wage Commission.

For more details about Oxfam’s advocacy work on minimum wage, please visit: www.oxfam.org.hk/en/fairwages.aspx

Company score and their ranking Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 8 9 10 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 17 17 17 21 21 23 24 25 26 27 27 30 31 33 32 33 35 35 37 38 39 40 41 42

Name of Company

Total Score Percentage

HSBC CLP China Mobile Cathay Pacific MTR Corp Hong Kong and China Gas Foxconn Swire Pacific Hang Seng Bank HK Exchanges & Clearing Sun Hung Kai Li & Fung HK Electric Tencent Sino Land New World Development China Resources Enterprise Esprit China Shenhua Henderson Land Development Sinopec China Construction Bank Ping An China Unicom Bank of East Asia Bank of China (Hong Kong) China Resources Power Hang Lung ICBC Bank of China China Overseas CNOOC China Merchants Bank of Communications China Life Insurance Aluminium Corp of China Hutchison Whampoa CITIC Pacific Wharf Holdings Cheung Kong Holdings COSCO Pacific

80% 77% 76% 74% 71% 69% 69% 67% 66% 63% 63% 61% 56% 56% 53% 52% 51% 51% 51% 51% 48% 48% 47% 46% 45% 44% 43% 43% 41% 40% 33% 38% 33% 31% 31% 30% 29% 25% 20% 16% 13%

Donor Trip to Yunnan From 20 to 24 July, 2010, eight Oxfam monthly donors travelled to Yunnan province, China to observe projects supported by Oxfam Hong Kong.

By Stella Tang I thank Oxfam Hong Kong for providing me a great chance to join this donor trip to visit communities in Luquan County, Yunnan province. During the five-day trip, I witnessed how Oxfam and its partner organisation have worked hard to assist people in working their way out of poverty, in spite of the remoteness and limited resources of the area. The impacts are significant – villagers didn’t have enough food to eat and they lived in unsafe shabby houses.

Now, nearly all families there have enough rice to eat. Villagers also have savings to build new houses and raise livestock.

The success of Oxfam’s anti-poverty work rests on the commitment of its development workers and its partners from the local government poverty alleviation department, as well as their holistic strategy of helping villagers to improve their lives step by step. For example, they first supported communities to build infrastructure such as water and electricity systems and roads.

Then, training was provided on farming and raising livestock, and a community development fund was set up. All these efforts aim at enhancing villagers’ self-reliance and capacity for sustainable development.

The level of development in the four communities we visited differed and the villagers are still far from being well-off. However, whenever we asked how Oxfam’s programmes have benefited them, I could always see satisfaction, joy and gratitude on their faces.

“I am willing to work hard for more food.” This heartfelt wish of a villager reminds me that each one of us can play a part in helping more people achieve a better life.

Stella(second from right) is impressed by the commitment of the development workers and its partners of Oxfam.

Oxfam Activities O.N.E – Oxfam News E-magazine Mid-Autumn Festival Corporate Gifts For this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival, surprise your clients, business partners, suppliers or staff with gifts from Oxfam Corporate Unwrapped. Oxfam’s gift ideas are unusual and meaningful compared to the usual hamper – they provide people in need with a chance to better their lives!

Oxfam’s free online magazine of stories, photos, case studies, and campaigns, from near and far.

To subscribe, please visit: www.oxfam.org.hk/en/subscribetoone.aspx

Parent-Child Activity: Hunger Court – Food and Hunger Theatre In this interactive activity, participants will serve as jury members or witnesses in a special court to deal with various cases related to hunger – from Hong Kong to countries around the world. After the trial, participants discuss ways to tackle the problems of poverty and hunger.

If you have any enquiry, please contact Jacqueline Chan.

Tel: 3120 5189 Fax: 2527 6213 Email: jacquelinec@oxfam.org.hk

Date Venue

: 9 October 2010 (Saturday) : Oxfam Hong Kong Interactive Education Centre, 9/F China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point Time : 2:30pm – 5:30pm (Please arrive at 2:20pm) Language : Cantonese (English translation provided)

Oxfam Trailwalker 2010

Run with OXFAM TRAILWALKER. Run with us AGAINST POVERTY Oxfam Trailwalker 2010 will be held from 19 to 21 November. 4,600 people will join in 1,150 four-person teams, with each trying to complete the 100-km MacLehose Trail and additional route within 48 hours and raise as much money as possible for poor people.

The 100-km trail is tough and requires perseverance more than anything else - which is what poor people need, every day, every week, every year, over and over.

Each and every step taken by the Trailwalkers is for poor people.

Since 1986, more than 65,000 people have joined Oxfam Trailwalker and helped raise over HK$323 million to support Oxfam’s poverty alleviation projects in Africa and Asia, including Hong Kong and Mainland China. However, millions of people still live in poverty and they really need our support.

For more information, please visit: www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk

Oxfam Rice Sale 2010 The annual Oxfam Rice Sale, our main fundraiser for projects in China, was held over three weekends in May, on 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23. Thank you for buying Oxfam Rice – this year we raised HK$2.2 million for projects on the Mainland by selling the small bags of rice. Each grain helps! Special thanks go to Oxfam Ambassadors Sammy Leung, Kary Ng and to all the Oxfam supporters, volunteers, corporations, schools and groups for joining the event. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

CHINA VOICES Oxfam Hong Kong has given expression to a range of CHINA VOICES by launching a book that features a collection of people’s stories and photographs – a village drama troupe in Henan province that challenges gender stereotypes; a rock band of migrant workers in Beijing that amplifies labour laws; a non-profit group called LOVE that inspires middle-class Shanghai youth to take action; government units in Guangxi province that address poverty through community participation; rural residents in Yunnan that tackle poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism and suicide.

CHINA VOICES not only depicts the lives of farmers, women, migrant workers, ethnic minorities and community workers in China’s impoverished rural areas, it is also a chronicle of Oxfam’s work in China over the past 23 years.

Publisher Length Discounted Price Editors

: Oxfam Hong Kong : 162 pages : HK$88.2 (including local postage) : Lot Felizco, Madeleine Slavick

Order online, please visit: www.oxfam.org.hk/en/eshop.aspx

For parents and their children aged 9 or above.

Participants will be asked to sit on the floor, please remove your shoes before entering the Centre For enquiries, please contact Winnie Yan (Tel: 3120 5245 Fax: 2590 6880 Email: winniey@oxfam.org.hk)

Sharing Session on “Oxfam's work in Cambodia and Myanmar” Cambodia and Myanmar are among the poorest countries in the world. What are the causes of poverty in the two countries? How do Oxfam's development and advocacy work assist poor people there to improve their lives? If you are interested in learning more, you are welcome to join the sharing session on “Oxfam's work in Cambodia and Myanmar”.

Date Time Venue Speaker Language

: : : : :

30 September (Thursday) 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm 17/F, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point Tobias Jackson, Country Programme Manager for Cambodia and Myanmar English (with Chinese translation)

For enquiries, please contact Winnie Yan (Tel: 3120 5245 Fax: 2590 6880 Email: winniey@oxfam.org.hk)

Donor Trip to Cambodia – 2011 We invite you, our valued monthly donor, to travel to Cambodia – a great opportunity to see changes in people’s lives and to deepen your understanding of Oxfam’s work. We will take you to some of our development projects where you will learn about our work first-hand and be able to talk directly with project participants.

Date

: Mid-January 2011

Number of Partners : 8 Price

: About HK$7,500 (including transport and accommodations; any refund will be made after deducting the actual charges)

Requirements

: Oxfam Partners aged 18 or above willing to share trip observations with Oxfam supporters and the general public

Please return the form below to us by 8 October 2010. We will contact successful applicants by 22 October 2010 .

For more information: Pinky Chiu

Tel: 3120 5120

Fax: 2590 6880

Email: pinkyc@oxfam.org.hk

Oxfam Donor Activities – Reply Form 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 - mark the envelope "Donor Activities" Full Name:

Age:

Oxfam Partner No. (if any): MD

Occupation:

Telephone (Day):

(Night):

Email:

Please tick

:

Sharing Session on “Oxfam's work in Cambodia and Myanmar” (30 September Thursday) Name of participant:

Hunger Court – Food and Hunger Theatre (9 October Saturday)

Save the Date: 17 October!

17 October is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – marked by people from all walks of life every year throughout the world. It is a day for people to gather, renew their commitment, and express their solidarity with poor people. Oxfam Hong Kong will launch a fundraising campaign called “Oxfam Barefoot Day” on the same date, and we invite individuals, schools and companies/organisations to join. Organise your own unique ‘barefoot’ event at your school, office premises or any venue from 17–31 October to help raise funds for Oxfam’s poverty alleviation projects. Take off your shoes (socks allowed) and experience how scarcity of resources affects poor people. Be creative – you can organise a barefoot hunger lunch, a barefoot conference, a barefoot birthday bash, or even a barefoot hike!

Join the “Oxfam Barefoot Day” and have fun organising a meaningful event for your school, organisation or social gatherings! For details, please visit: www.oxfam.org.hk or call our Donor Service Hotline at 3120 5000.

Name of participant:

Age:

Name of participant:

Age:

Name of participant:

Age:

Donor Trip to Cambodia (Mid-January 2011) What do you expect from this trip?

We expect you to record your observations during the trip and share them with other donors and possibly with the general public. What methods would you choose?

Reports / Acknowledgements A man of unbending principles Country Programme Manager for Cambodia and Myanmar Before he joined Oxfam Hong Kong, Tobias Jackson was working on a community forestry project in Siem Reap, Cambodia. One day he and his colleagues from various government departments were on forest patrol when they saw six ox-carts on a dirt road transporting large pieces of timber from a nearby protected area to Siem Reap town. The job of the forestry patrol was to protect

the forests upon which local communities depended for food and construction materials. A major part of this was to stop illegal logging, so Tobias stopped the ox-carts and called the Forest Administration in Siem Reap to send a truck to impound the timber.

Tobias is a man of unbending principles. The Oxford-trained forester genuinely believes that development work can make a difference to poor and disadvantaged people. “The world is a rich place and there is no justification for poverty. Many people in this world live difficult lives with limited food and few resources. Even if only in small ways, I want to be one of the people who try to change that,” he said.

illegally cleared their community forests for a rubber plantation. Assisted by an Oxfam-supported partner, the Indigenous Community Support Organisation, villagers produced a film to bring the issue to community, provincial and national attention. They then wrote a letter of complaint to the government, urging it to take action to protect the rights of villagers. Finally, they used non-violent action to drive out the companies, which ended up suspending their clearance operations and leaving the area.”

The owner of the timber also arrived, and when Tobias intervened to stop him from bribing forestry officials, the

Cambodia and Myanmar are among the poorest countries in the world, ranking 137 and 138 out of 182 respectively on the United Nations Human Development Index. As Tobias explained, “People in Cambodia and Myanmar are generally poor not because they are lazy or stupid; they are poor because they lack access to education, health care and agricultural knowledge and because their governments fail to take responsibility for providing these things.”

Asked about the challenges of working in the two countries, Tobias said, “The Cambodian government is relatively open to working with civil society in areas which it considers not sensitive, such as health and education, but not in the sectors where the Oxfam programme focuses, such as land and rights. In Myanmar, the government is sensitive about many issues and is not supportive of civil society. So it is hard for us to address issues like land rights and corruption in both countries. We have to think carefully how we approach this work. As we work through local partners, they ensure that our work is locally appropriate and effective and they are the real backstage heroes.”

Oxfam currently supports nine partners in Cambodia and four in Myanmar, focused on land and natural resource management, ethnic minority rights, income and food security, and disaster risk reduction. Tobias agrees that community development is important in poverty alleviation, but he sees advocacy as the lasting solution to end poverty. “Our programmes aim to advocate for change in the systems and structures that keep people poor,” he said. He shared an example of successful advocacy: “Early this year, a group of villagers in Rattanakiri province, Cambodia, demonstrated against two rubber companies that had

Partnership is the essence of Oxfam’s development programmes. Besides managing Oxfam’s projects in both countries, and engaging with Oxfam affiliates and key allies on joint-Oxfam work, building and maintaining supportive relationships with local non-governmental organisations and community members is another key

owner threatened to shoot him that night or the next day. Not wanting to get involved, his colleagues chose to remain silent and headed back to town, leaving Tobias to confront the situation alone in the dark. But instead of retreating, he stayed and called to report the situation to his manager, who sent a team of armed guards to escort him back to town and impound the wood.

munity development is Tobias agrees that com viation, but he sees important in poverty alle ution to end poverty. sol ting advocacy as the las

role of Tobias’ job. As a foreigner with a different culture and language, how does he achieve this?

“It is very important to have a good understanding of the countries in which one works, so this is about listening, learning, being observant and above all having respect for communities and partners.” Tobias tries to live up to this ideal of true respect and partnership.

When visiting projects, he eats with villagers, sleeps in their houses, and helps them wash the dishes and do the chores. Also, he speaks the Khmer language, which has enabled him to gain insight into the local way of life.

When it comes to work, Tobias is diligent and thorough. He prefers results over empty talk. Outside of work, he loves reading and travelling – he began exploring the world with his parents when he was two years old!

The vegetarian animal lover dislikes meat eating and enjoys being in the wild and seeing animals and plants.

“For me the best way to relax is to walk in the forest or snorkel on a coral reef.”

Tobias Jackson was born and educated in the United Kingdom.

He joined Oxfam Hong Kong in November 2007. Prior to that, he worked in the Provincial Forestry Department of the Cambodian government for three years and in the non-profit conservation sectors in the U.K. and Australia for almost 10 years. He is based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

“Partnership is the ess ence of Oxfam’s develop ment programmes,” Tobias sai d.

Democratic Party Elegant Photo Finishing Company Faye Donna Wong Fortune Fame Logistics Ltd Gitone Fine Arts Limited Korea Garden Restaurant LKW Prince Café & Bakery ThreeSixty Zi Lui Art Workshop China Light and Power donated HK$51,841 to Oxfam through the CLP Power Safety Incentive Scheme.

Oxfam China Development Fund 2010 Co-sponsors

Organisations Supporting Our Publicity

Hong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group Limited Tai Shing Group (Holdings) Co. Ltd. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited TNT Express Worldwide (HK) Ltd.

ACCA Hong Kong alfaxMedia Asian Trends CLP CMA Insurance Agent Limited Conceptable Dream House Easy Groups Ltd. Elegant Photo Finishing Co. Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) Limited Graphic Arts Association of Hong Kong Hong Kong Institute of Accredited Accounting Technicians Limited i.shop MRRM Publishing Ltd. PCCW Media Limited RoadShow Sulan The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers The Hong Kong Trade Development Council The Life Underwriters Association of Hong Kong Times Square Limited Wharf T&T Ltd. Wing Lung Bank Xpress Finance Limited

Oxfam Rice sponsor Dah Chong Hong, Ltd.

Supported by Oxfam Ambassador Kary Ng Oxfam Ambassador Sammy Leung

Volunteer Photographers Dick Lau Samuel Foo Walter Ding Wong Chi Cheung

Oxfam Rice Sale venue sponsors Hong Kong Housing Authority The Incorporated Owners of Kwai Chung Plaza The Link Management Limited

Oxfam Corporate Donor Programme 2009-10 Oxfam Corporate Donor Outstanding Awardees Action Waterfall Gym Chinese Estates Group Paper House Creations

Oxfam Corporate Donor Excellence Awardees Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Company Limited Dah Chong Hong, Ltd. Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited Hong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group Limited Jetronic Electronics Ltd Marie Claire Magazine Shun Hing Group Store Friendly Self Storage Group Tai Shing Group (Holdings) Co. Ltd. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited TNT Express Worldwide (HK) Ltd.

Total Programme Expenditure: HK$53 million (1 April 2010 - 31 July 2010)

East Asia

9% 7%

7%

Archipelagic Southeast Asia 5%

(Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor Leste)

Oxfam Partners Recruitment Campaign - Exhibition Area Sponsorship (April 2010 to July 2010):

Lands Department Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Other

The Mekong

(Africa, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and global)

(Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam)

72%

China (The Mainland and Hong Kong)

955 on-going projects (as at 31 July)

Hong Kong Housing Authority Lei Yue Mun Plaza On Kay Court Shopping Centre Leisure and Cultural Services Department Tuen Mun Cultural Square The Link Management Limited Chun Shek Shopping Centre Fu Cheong Shopping Centre Kai Tin Shopping Centre Oi Tung Shopping Centre On Ting Shopping Centre Shek Lei I Shopping Centre Shek Yam Shopping Centre Siu Hei Shopping Centre Tin Shing Shopping Centre Yau Oi Commercial Centre

Henderson Property Agency Limited Shatin Centre Tuen Mun Trend Plaza Henderson Real Estate Agency Limited Fanling Centre Sunshine City Plaza Tsuen Wan City Landmark Hopewell Real Estate Agency Limited Hopewell Centre Kowloon City Plaza Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited Hong Kong Plaza New Kowloon Plaza Sun Kwai Hing Plaza Sun Yuen Long Centre Yuen Long Plaza Sunlight Reit Treasury Limited Sheung Shui Centre

The programme expenditure is subject to audit and will be published in the 2010/2011 Annual Review.

Printed on 100% recycled paper using soy oil-based ink

3120 5000

www.oxfam.org.hk

2590 6880

info@oxfam.org.hk

Editorial Committee: Kanie Siu, 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: Central: LG 8, Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central (Tel: 2522 1765) Causeway Bay: Shop 33, 11/F, Windsor House, 311 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay (Tel: 2730 1666)