Dear Oxfam Supporters,

Large parts of East Africa are facing the world's worst food crisis, and five regions of southern Somalia have reached the point of famine. Thanks to your donations, Oxfam is there, providing urgent supplies for people and their livestock across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. For more updates on the situation, refer to the emergency report on Page 2 or visit our website, www.oxfam.org.hk.

The dire situation in East Africa is a bellwether of today’s broken food system. Our world is capable of feeding the current world population of seven billion yet one in seven of us are hungry today.

Oxfam sees the crisis in East Africa as a natural disaster as well as an international food crisis. We see ineffectual government policy towards agriculture, the impact of climate change on weather patterns, rising food and oil prices, excessive grain price speculation in the commodity futures market, and an ever-increasing demand of the world population for meat and milk.

The 2008 spike in food prices pushed some 100 million people into poverty. Price rises so far in 2011 have done the same to 44 million more. People of the developing countries are the hardest hit. The number of hungry people in India increased by 65 million – more than the population of France. And today one in four of the world’s hungry people live in India. Most ironic of all is: the most hungry in the world are the small-scale food producers who grow but struggle to put enough food on their table due to lack of effective support from national and international governments.

Oxfam launched its global ‘GROW’ campaign this June to call for action to prevent future food crises from happening. The message is loud and clear. We have to work together today to call for governments to reform their food policies. With a new way of thinking, we can grow food more fairly and more sustainably. We can all do our part in ending hunger.

Again, we THANK YOU and the Hong Kong public for your donations and your support, for East Africa and for poor people around the world.

Kind regards

The Importance of EducationEducation. A basic right. It breaks the vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty.

■ Hui children at an Oxfam-supported school in Gansu: Oxfam always prioritises the needs of marginalised people.

In China, Oxfam Hong Kong currently supports basic education projects in Beijing, Gansu, Guizhou, Qinghai and Yunnan, with teachers, ethnic minority children, women, migrant children in the cities, and village children whose parents have left to go and work in the city. Since 2004, we have allocated over RMB50 million to more than 200 education initiatives in poor areas of the country.

• Develop bi/multicultural teaching materials catered to specific ethnic minority communities

• Support bilingual education / curriculum with ethnic minority children in Western China to learn Han Chinese with their own language

• Develop models for teaching various age groups in one classroom in Gansu

• Build and rebuild schools in impoverished inland villages

• Advocate the Chinese government and society to allocate more resources for children’s education

• Support education for the children of migrant workers

• Support curriculum reform as needed, to suit local conditions in remote rural areas

Women’s education“Xinmiao Kindergarten & Girls School of Lanzhou Chong De Cultural Service Centre” in Gansu, has 300 ethnic minority adult women students, 40 pre-schoolers, and is also home to more than 30 orphans. Located in a migrant worker neighbourhood in the city, it was set up in 2006 with support from Oxfam Hong Kong.

When Ma Xiu Lian, 20, began studying here in 2010, she had only received one year of primary education in her hometown in Ningxia,

where they speak the Dongxiang language. Following a lower primary curriculum, she quickly learned all the Chinese Pinyin characters and a significant vocabulary, in just one year. “Before coming to school, I was like a blind person who cannot read nor write,” she says. “I didn’t even know the word ‘supermarket’ and I couldn’t read a price tag. Now, I feel like my eyes are open.”

■ Oxfam supports rural communities to build or upgrade their schools.

Pre-school educationAs more and more rural people move to the cities for work, there is a growing concern about the education of migrant children and of village children left behind. Currently, there are more than 320,000 rural people working in Lanzhou; about 60 per cent of migrant children there live with their parents and 20 per cent of them are aged 3 to 6. Pre-school education is important for a child’s education and personal development, but is often neglected in poor areas such as the northwest. Many migrant children who do not receive a pre-school education find it hard to adapt to primary school, suffer stress, and achieve lower marks.

Xinmiao Kindergarten provides a pre-school education for migrant children in Lanzhou. As of December 2010, about 200 of its pre-school students had continued on to public primary schools.

Focus

More than 1.4 billion people live on less than HK$10/day, which is the international poverty line. This is hardly enough to make ends meet, let alone to access adequate meals, health care, education and housing. The UN declared October 17 as “The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty” in 1993, and every year since then, people from all over the world and from all walks of life have taken action. Oxfam $10 Appeal is part of this movement, and we invite you to join, as an individual, school, company, organisation, anyone who takes a stand agaist poverty…

*Oxfam Coupons will support Oxfam’s poverty alleviation work around the world. The Coupons are a collection of special discounts offered by nine Oxfam Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) Partners: 7-Eleven Convenience Store, China Resources Vanguard, Délifrance, Fotomax, Fair Circle, Hung Fook Tong Holdings Ltd., Japan Home Centre, Oliver’s Super Sandwiches and Protrek.

Watch Oxfam’s TV documentary, ATV Home Channel, 10:30 pm, 3 September.

Buy Oxfam Coupons* in September and early October

Join the Oxfam $10 Appeal: www.facebook.com/oxfam10

Visit www.oxfam.org.hk/en/oxfam10.aspx

Make a donation

Tell your friends and relatives - this is another way to help

John SayerDirector GeneralOxfam Hong Kong

ProjectsagainstPoverty

ProjectsagainstPoverty

Issue

Sep 2011

Working with people against poverty

www.oxfam.org.hk | 2520 2525

■ Ma Xiu Lian studies hard and wants to learn English some day.

■ These three orphans study at primary schools in Lanzhou. Every day after school, they come ‘home’ to the Xinmiao Kindergarten and do some chores such as knitting blankets for other children.

44

Oxfam $10 Appeal

East AfricaMore than 12 million people in East Africa are facing a massive humanitarian crisis, with the worst drought in 60 years, ongoing war, high food prices, climate change, and five regions of Somalia are in famine (when more than 2 adults or 4 children per 10,000 die each day, and acute malnutrition among children is above 30%).

Oxfam responseThanks to the generosity of our donors, Oxfam is helping 1.17 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia: • Oxfam is providing water and sanitation at hundreds of small camps • Built water systems at several large camps• Direct cash relief for displaced families• Cash-for-work: people earn money by rebuilding infrastructure • Safe sanitation and health promotion to prevent disease • Water, pastureland, vaccinations and medical treatment for 900,000 livestock • Food for malnourished children and breastfeeding women in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia

Globally, Oxfam needs about HK$630 million to assist 3 million people. As of 15 August, Oxfam Hong Kong has raised about HK$7.2 million.

ShaanxiIn early July, southern Shaanxi Province was ravaged by floods caused by heavy rains. Crops were destroyed and houses damaged.

Oxfam response• 31 tonnes of rice, 1,460 litres

of cooking oil, 140 quilts for 1,929 people in 2 villages in Nanzheng County

• Support for villagers to build a 1,500-metre pipeline for their water supply

GuizhouIn April and May, Guizhou was hit by heavy hail, rainstorms, flooding and drought, affecting hundreds of thousands of people and destroying crops and houses.

Oxfam response• 25 tonnes of r ice and 10,000 l i t res of cooking o i l for

3,000 hail-affected people in 4 townships of Changshun County• 20,485 litres of cooking oil, tiles, bricks and cement for

7,687 storm-affected people in 2 townships in Sandu County• 83.64 tonnes of rice, 500 quilts, 110 cooking utensil sets, and

110 hygienic kits for 4,838 flood-affected people in Dajian Township in Wangmo County (the most severely-hit area)

• 105 tonnes of rice for 7,000 drought-affected people in 3 townships in Songtao County

China

Oxfam Hong Kong has responded to several recent disasters around the world. Here is a short report.

SichuanIn early July, heavy rains also struck Nanjiang County in Sichuan Province, damaging crops and homes. Oxfam personnel immediately set off to Nanjiang to make an assessment and carry out relief response.

Oxfam response• 1,600 quilts for 5,228 people• 12 tonnes of rice and 2,475 litres of cooking oil for another

1,867 people in 7 townships and 5 villages in Nanjiang County

■ Kenya: Somalis collect water from Oxfam’s taps at Dadaab, the world’s largest refugee camp.

Sri LankaIn January and February, more than 2 million people across the country were affected by two floods caused by torrential rains.

Oxfam response• Food, water, hygiene kits, and materials for constructing toilets and shelter • Food, livelihoods and shelter assistance for another 1,886 needy families,

mainly widows/widowers, women, elderly people, and people with disabilities

CambodiaIn April, armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces in Oddor Meanchey Province forced thousands of civilians on both sides of the border to flee. Authorities estimated that around 85,000 people have sought refuge in temporary camps and temples.

Oxfam responseSafe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for 3,000 families in temporary camps

JapanThe 9.0 magnitude earthquake, massive tsunami and nuclear crisis have affected the nation, particularly the prefectures of Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate. As of June, more than 24,000 people have been reported dead or have remained missing.

Oxfam response• Livelihood support and assistance for about 250,000 people • Priority groups assisted: women, elderly people, people with disabilities,

and immigrants

DPRK (North Korea)Bitter winters, weather-related crop failure (recent drought and torrential rains) and a lack of financial and agricultural resources have left people with food shortages. The United Nations estimates that more than 6 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian food assistance.

Oxfam response• 1,034 tonnes of maize for 229,709 children under 5 in South Pyongan,

North Hwanghae and in Pyongyang• This 45-day food ration helps prevent children from becoming acutely

malnourished

The PhilippinesFor 2 weeks, from late May to early June, 611,000 people living near the Mindanao River Basin were inundated by continual rain, causing massive flooding, flashfloods and losses in livelihoods.

Oxfam responseWater treatment and storage, hygiene, sanitation and malong (traditional clothing) for women of 5,142 families in Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato and Cotabato City for 2 months

Ah Ying, a single mother, lives with her three children in Tin Shui Wai. After deducting the rent, they make do on HK$6,200 in Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) and the small income she earns by collecting paper and cardboard to recycle. Hong Kong’s high inflation and soaring food prices have made life a lot harder.

The three children are underweight and unhealthy, and although the doctor suggests they eat more meat, Ah Ying cannot afford that. She cooks food to last every two days (to save on gas) and sometimes, her relatives bring her some groceries. Her daily budget for four people’s food is about HK$50.

A family in Hong Kong struggles to make ends meet

We cannot turn a blind eye to poverty in Hong Kong

■ High inflation and rising food prices have made life harder for Ah Ying and her children.

Hong Kong has a very unequal distribution of resources and wealth, and government policies and systems can be inadequate for the society as a whole. According to recent Oxfam research, one in every six poor families with children cannot meet their basic food needs: in fact, they experience hunger. More and more people need food aid from food banks, cash from welfare groups, and food and other support from religious organisations. Oxfam Hong Kong works with community organisations to create a better living standard for poor people in Hong Kong, and we also carry out direct advocacy and public education to promote awareness. Ah Ying joined the ‘Community Economy of Collective Purchase Project of Tin Shui Wai’ supported by Oxfam which now enables her to buy better quality food at an affordable price.

To assist poor people, Oxfam calls on the Hong Kong SAR Government to improve and extend the services of food banks, and to increase meal allowances under CSSA and the Community Care Fund. To learn more: www.oxfam.org.hk/en/hongkong_209.aspx

Donor Trip to Gansu From 11 to 16 July, CHU Shuk Fan and seven other Oxfam monthly donors travelled to Gansu, China, to observe projects supported by Oxfam Hong Kong. She shares her trip experiences.

• 10,000 names – Go to http://justbite.oxfam.org.hk and sign our petition. We want at least 10,000 signatures to urge the Government to take action

• Make a donation to support our work

• JUST Bite: Oxfam Exhibition on Food and Poverty – this exhibition-in-a-truck will tour six locations from 16 Sept. to 12 Nov.: Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Shatin. Check out the schedule:

http://justbite.oxfam.org.hk

Address poverty with hopeI have always wanted to know more about Oxfam Kong Kong’s poverty alleviation work in China, so when Oxfam invited monthly donors to visit their development projects in Gansu, I jumped at the opportunity. The visit to Oxfam’s rural and urban livelihood projects enabled me to understand more about Oxfam’s ‘Help People Help Themselves’ working principle.

Oxfam’s work in rural communities includes training women for better health, and supporting people to build better roads, to set up their own water systems for better access to water, and to start community development funds for better livelihoods. Oxfam empowers communities to design and manage these projects, and gradually, villagers learn to take up more and more responsibility on community development and management.

We visited a migrant worker neighbourhood in the outskirts of Lanzhou. The residents there are primarily Dongxiang minority people who moved to Lanzhou in search of a better livelihood than farming. Some families live in small flats above the slaughterhouse where they work. The living conditions are very bad.

Due to patriarchal attitudes, most of the women and girls here have been denied an education, so Oxfam is supporting “Parents’ School”, a project which includes trainings for migrant adults on family education, child psychology, gender and health, and basic legal knowledge. Parents learn new things, exchange experiences and receive support from each other. The School also provides specially designed courses for girls who have not had the opportunity to receive an education in the past. Now, both women and girls feel more empowered. They realise that they have rights, and they are making more decisions about their lives.

Oxfam’s development work aims at bringing long-term changes in people’s lives. However, changes cannot be achieved overnight. I am glad that my little donation brings some hope and respect to poor people and their communities.

We need you to play a part in ending poverty in Hong Kong!

* Thanks to Caritas Computer Workshop for providing cameras for our campaign.

See the WorldSee the World

■ Wangmo County was hit hard by the flood

CHU Shuk Fan (second from right) visits migrant workers in Lanzhou.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the event, and the conversation keeps going about why people join Oxfam Trailwalker… From 18 to 20 November, we will see 4,800 people walk together in teams of four, each trying to complete the 100 km route within 48 hours. Please support them with a donation. All proceeds go to Oxfam’s work with poor people around the world.

From 17 to 25 April, I was lucky to join a trip with eight other Trailwalkers and volunteers. We visited different Oxfam projects in Nghe An, a province in Vietnam. I would like to take this opportunity to share my experiences with you, including a day in a village. That day, we visited a cattle-raising project and a water system supported by Oxfam in a village located in KỳSơn district. Afterwards, we met a farmer in his house. He was wearing a smile and a dark blue traditional outfit. We sat on the floor and he told us about his life before and after joining a cattle-raising project and training cooperative supported by Oxfam and a local organisation. In the past, he only had one cow. But today, he is a proud owner of six cattle. He is content with his life now, and he can even financially support his son to study at the university. He said with a big grin, “My son studies Development Studies!”

I asked curiously, “What do you expect from him in the future?”

I thought he would answer, “I hope he can get a good job in the city and live a more comfortable life." Instead, he said, “I want him to come back to this village, to help other villagers and to develop the community, just like what Oxfam is doing here.” What a touching answer! I almost burst into tears! Parents in Hong Kong usually want their children to get a well-paid job when they grow up, or at least be able to take care of themselves – which I think are reasonable expectations. But how come this man has a different way of thinking? Again, I feel grateful for having the opportunity to join the trip, and to see what “Working with People against Poverty” really means. If we simply give a villager a cow without enabling him or her to develop skills, I believe the cow might die prematurely, and there is no way for the villager to get out of poverty. What this farmer has learned is more valuable: the new skills ensuring he is not a passive receiver of aid but an active change maker.

Policy Giving Programme – Easy to extend your love

Oxfam Trailwalker 2011

Parent-child Activity: The Disappearance of Rice Participatory Workshop

Without a Home in the World

A walker’s trail in Vietnam

Please ACT NOW and name Oxfam Hong Kong as a beneficiary of your insurance policy. It is a way to help poor people improve their livelihoods.

Step 1:Fill in the ‘Information Changing Form’ and then fax / post it to your insurance company

(Registration number of Oxfam Hong Kong：215859) You can obtain the form from your insurance agent or your insurance company

Step 2:You will receive confirmation from your insurance company

Step 3:Fill in the ‘Notification Form’ and then fax it to Oxfam Hong Kong

(Fax：2527 6213 Vicky NG) and LUA Foundation Ltd (Fax: 2570 1525) for record.You can obtain the form from Oxfam Hong Kong

Ten stories from around the world, with compelling photographs.

This new book (in Chinese) portrays what life is like for a refugee, and what Hong Kong can do to help. There are more than 40 million refugees in the world, counting refugees, internally displaced persons, stateless persons, asylum seekers and voluntary repatriated persons. Although the Refugee Convention was signed in 1951 to protect the basic rights of refugees, much suffering exists, a  suffering largely forgotten by the world.  

Homeless, sometimes stateless, they have huge needs and huge dreams. International agencies such as Oxfam Hong Kong and the UN Refugee Agency, the publishers of this book, are there to provide basic necessities such as food, water, education and health care, and to assist them with a better future.

The title of the book is also the name of an experiential workshop created by Oxfam Hong Kong for youth. Children enter a mock refugee camp, hear the sirens and bombs, and set up their own tents, water point, toilet and clinic.

This book is suitable as a reference for the Liberal Studies curriculum. Publishers: Oxfam Hong Kong & The UN Refugee Agency

Discount price: HK$80 (including local postage)

160 pages / Full-colour / ISBN: 978-962-664-032-6

The book is sold here and at bookstores:

Online: www.oxfam.org.hk/sc/eshop.aspx

Oxfam Hong Kong: 17th Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North Point (tel: 2520 2525)

The Oxfam Shop: Jardine House, Shop No. 8, LGF,1 Connaught Place, Central (tel: 2522 1765)

■Mandy Ho, the author of this article, meets with project participants in Vietnam. In the villages, people chew betel nut which makes their lips and teeth red.

Donor Trip to Nepal – November 2011

Simply follow the steps below to join the ‘Policy Giving Programme’:

For more information, please contact Vicky NG Tel: 3120 5258 Email:vickyn@oxfam.org.hk

The price of agricultural products has been increasing rapidly. But why is it that the majority of farmers are not benefiting? Can you imagine what would happen to the world if one day all farmers stopped cultivating rice?

In this interesting, interactive workshop, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the difficulties and struggles farmers face under the adverse impact of a global economy. They will be guided by the workshop facilitator to probe the correlation between the food crisis and social issues.

Date : 15 October 2011 (Saturday)Venue : Interactive Education Centre, Oxfam Hong Kong 9th Floor, China United Centre, 28 Marble Road, North PointTime : 2:30 –5:30 pmLanguage : Cantonese (English translation provided)

• For parents and their children aged 9 and over • Please arrive at 2:20 pm• 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: caral@oxfam.org.hk)

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: 8 -15 November 2011Number of Partners: 8Price: About HK$9,000 (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 23 September. We will contact successful applicants by 7 October.

For more information: Pinky Chiu Tel: 3120 5120 Fax: 2590 6880 Email: pinkyc@oxfam.org.hk

Oxfam ActivitiesOxfam Activities

Please tick :

Full Name: Age:

Oxfam Partner No. (if any): MD Occupation:

Telephone (Day): (Night):

Email:

Name of participant: Age:

Name of participant: Age:

Name of participant: Age:

Parent-child Activity: The Disappearance of Rice Participatory Workshop(Saturday 15 October 2011)

Oxfam Donor Activities – Reply Form

Donor Trip to Nepal (8 -15 November 2011)

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”

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?

What do you expect from this trip?

For more information: www.oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk

Zhang Lao-lue (left) and her daughter-in-law say life in Zai Wa is better now.

9% 7%

11%

14%

59%

867 ongoing projects (as of 30 June 2011)* The programme expenditure is subject to audit and will be published in the Annual Review 2011/2012.

Total Programme Expenditure: HK$42 million(1 April - 30 June 2011)

South Asia(Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan & Sri Lanka)

China(The Mainland & Hong Kong)

The Mekong(Cambodia, Laos,

Myanmar & Vietnam)

Archipelagic Southeast Asia

(Indonesia, North Korea & the Philippines)

Other(Africa, Central America, Papna New Guinea & global)

Principal SponsorWing Hang Bank

SponsorsChina Unicom (Hong Kong) Operations LimitedChow Tai Fook Charity FoundationHong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group Ltd.Tai Shing Group (Holdings) Co. Ltd.

Logistics SponsorTNT Express Worldwide (HK) Ltd.

Media SponsorHong Kong Broadband Network Ltd.

Oxfam Rice Sponsor Dah Chong Hong, Ltd.

Supported by:Oxfam Ambassador Joey YungOxfam Ambassador Wu Hang YeeOxfam Ambassador Sammy Leung

Volunteer PhotographersCalvin MoDick LauHugo LamWalter Ding

GuangdongEmployment project to help occupationally injured workers

GuizhouCommunity development project in Yi, Hui and Miao Minorities Autonomous County

Hong KongAdvocacy Project on Universal Retirement Protection

QinghaiRehabilitation and community development project in Yushu

YunnanCommunity development project along Malonghe River, Chuxiong

VietnamStrengthening the livelihoods and enhancing the security of poor ethnic minority and vulnerable communities in Nghe An and Quang Tri Provinces

Papua New GuineaStrengthening women's literacy and training services in Yehimbole, East Sepik Province

North KoreaAssistance to increase grain production at five cooperative farms

Highlights of New Projects (1 April - 31 July 2011)

Lei Guang-qing: Programme Officer, Rural Development & Disaster Management, China

Mainland China and Hong Kong The Mekong

Others

Oxfam Rice Sale Venue SponsorsHong Kong Housing AuthorityMarina SquareMaritime SquarePacific PlaceThe Incorporated Owners of Kwai Chung PlazaThe Link Management Limited

Organisations Supporting Our Publicity:ACCA Hong KongBOC International Holdings LimitedChina Mobile Hong Kong Company LimitedCitybase Property Management Ltd.CMA Insurance Agent Limited DBS Bank (Hong Kong) LimitedDream HouseFederation of Hong Kong Industries Hong Kong Institute of Accredited Accounting Technicians LimitedHong Kong Trade Development Councili.shopLove Travel MediaMRRM Publishing Ltd.Quam (H.K.) LimitedSulanTake Me HomeThe Bank of East AsiaThe Life Underwriters Association of Hong KongWharf T&T Ltd.Wing Hang BankWing Lung BankZip Magazine

Oxfam Outstanding Corporate Donor Awardees

Dah Chong Hong, Ltd.Hong Kong Health Check & Medical Diagnostic Group LimitedTai Shing Group (Holdings) Co. Ltd. TNT Express Worldwide (HK) Ltd.

Oxfam Corporate Donor Awardees

4M Industrial Development LtdBDO LimitedHong Kong Commercial Broadcasting Co., LtdJetronic Technology Limited

Cheung Kong (Holdings) LimitedMa On Shan Plaza

Hang Lung PropertiesAmoy PlazaKornhill Plaza

Henderson Real Estate Agency LimitedCity LandmarkGrand Waterfront PlazaMetro City PlazaSunshine City Plaza

Hopewell Real Estate Agency LimitedHopewell Centre

Kowloon City Plaza

Lands Department

Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentTuen Mun Culture SquareUrban Council Centenary Garden

Nan Fung Development LimitedTseung Kwan O Plaza

Sino GroupAvon MallChina Hong Kong CityIsland Resort MallKwun Tong PlazaRegentville MallShatin GalleriaWaterside Plaza

Sun Hung Kai Properties LimitedChelsea Heights PlazaEast Point CityNew Kowloon PlazaPark CentralPort CentreSun Yuen Long CentreYuen Long Plaza

The Link Management LimitedChung Fu Shopping CentreFung Tak Shopping CentreFu Cheong Shopping CentreKai Tin Shopping CentreKing Lam Shopping CentreLei Cheng Uk Shopping CentreOi Man Shopping CentreOi Tung Shopping CentreOn Ting Shopping CentreSau Mau Ping Shopping CentreShun Lee Shopping CentreSiu Sai Wan Shopping CentreTin Shing shopping centreTin Yiu Shopping CentreTin Tsz Shopping CentreTsz Wan Shan Shopping CentreWan Tau Tong Shopping Centre

Whampoa Garden Management LimitedWonderful Worlds of Whampoa

A Development Worker’s Notes

The Joy of a Better Life

Oxfam China Development Fund 2011

Oxfam Corporate Donor Programme 2010-11

Oxfam Partners Recruitment Campaign - Exhibition Area Sponsorship(April 2011 to July 2011):

Reports / Acknowledgements Reports / Acknowledgements

info@oxfam.org.hkwww.oxfam.org.hk

2590 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)

Residents of Zai Wa are more aware of health and sanitation now: unsanitary before the project (left) and more sanitary now (right).

Zai Wa, a village in the mountains of Guizhou Province, China, is home to 101 Miao minority families. Its remote location contributes to the poverty the people face. In May 2008, I visited Zai Wa for the first time. Through group discussions and household visits, villagers told me that they hoped to have a better road, a better living environment and better health and sanitation. In December that year, Oxfam Hong Kong started to implement community development projects through a local partner, and since then, my visits there have been more frequent. A memorable day – 17 August, 2010. That afternoon, I visited a number of families after a community meeting, as I usually do. The interview with an elderly woman impressed me a lot. Zhang Lao-lue, in her 90s, is an outspoken and sophisticated person, and her words seem to speak out for the whole community. I asked her how her family’s life has changed after joining Oxfam’s projects. She said, “We joined the Road Reinforcement, Energy Saving Stove, Biogas, and Cooking on the Ground Floor projects. (Residents used to cook on the small and cramped upper floor of

their wooden houses and there were frequent fires. Now they tend to cook downstairs, which is more spacious, and safer.) Zhang smiled and continued, “Before, we were not aware of the importance of sanitation, so excrement was everywhere in the village. Now, we have learned to keep the village clean. We used to keep our livestock in the house, but now we keep our pigs in pigpens outside. The sanitation is so much better now. The new road is so flat and smooth, and I don’t have to worry about falling even if I don’t have a torch (flashlight) at night. We also use the road to dry out grain and pepper.” She said that the new stoves need less firewood, and this has greatly reduced women’s workload of collecting firewood from the forest. “We also cook downstairs now. It’s better and safer.” Zhang was proud to say that Zai Wa is the cleanest and most beautiful village in the area, and that the residents achieved this together: all able-bodied women and men contributed their time and labour to build the road, fire embankments, community centre as well as reinforce their own homes. I asked Zhang how everyone will maintain everything in the future. She said villagers need to take responsibility for the development and management of the village. “For example, we need to restrict the number of heavy vehicles entering the village to prevent the road

from damage. Everyone needs to clean the village on a regular basis. We also need to keep livestock in their areas, and to comply with the fire safety rules agreed on by all the residents.” Towards the end of our meeting, Zhang said, “These are the happiest days of my life.”

I a m b o t h p l e a s e d a n d encouraged to see Zhang Lao-lue and many other people work for a better life for t h e m s e l v e s . T h i s i s m y motivation as a development worker.

The new path enables women to collect water easily and safely.

Chan Ka Hin & Chan Sum YeeKorea Garden Restaurant Ming Pao MonthlyPCCW Media LimitedProperty Finder Advertising Limited

Take Me HomeThreeSixty Time Square Magazine護訊 (Bi-annual Newsletter)

Lei Guang-qing (right) meets community people to see how Oxfam’s projects help improve their lives.