OXFAM Hong Kong
Mission: "We work with poor people regardless of race, sex, religion or politics in their struggle against poverty, distress and suffering. Our vision is for a world where people are equally assured of their rights with dignity and respect, including access to food, shelter, employment and health care, in a sustainable manner."
In China since: 1987
Annual China budget: $3,000,000
Mainland China contact:
Mr Duan Defeng
Media and Publication Officer
中国北京市朝阳区朝外北街吉庆里小区十号楼蓝筹名座E座二区802室 邮编:100020
Tel: +86 (0) 10 6551 2635
Fax: +86 (0) 10 6551 1521
Activities in Other Countries:
Around 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America
In 1942 a group of British citizens established an Oxford Committee for Famine Relief to aid civilian victims of World War II in Greece. ‘OXFAM’ was the organisation’s telegraphic address. From this has grown an international network of Oxfam organisations in twelve countries, with programmes throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Humanitarian aid in emergency situations remains a feature of Oxfam’s work, but it also undertakes longer-term development programmes that aim to address the causes of poverty. Moreover, concern with the causes of poverty and inequity has, increasingly, led Oxfam organisations to engage in ‘a dvocacy’ on behalf of the world’s poor and disadvantaged. Advocacy activities include encouraging pro-poor national level development policies, staging global campaigns to highlight inequities such as unfair terms of international trade, and running ‘development education’ programmes in richer countries to increase public understanding of the obstacles to development that poorer countries face. In 1995, the twelve national Oxfams created a joint, umbrella group, Oxfam International, to improve coordination and spearhead global advocacy efforts.
Oxfam Hong Kong began in the 1976 as a Hong Kong fundraising operation for Oxfam Great Britain. Ten years later it was established as an independent organisation, and began to fund development programmes in the Philippines and Vietnam. Today, OHK supports work in around 30 countries, often funding programmes managed by other Oxfams. Similarly, other Oxfams have contributed funds for projects in mainland China where, by agreement with Oxfam International members, OHK leads the network’s development and advocacy efforts.
Since the early 1990s, OHK has contributed substantially to disaster relief in China, and in many cases this has led to longer-term poverty alleviation work. From 1991, a southwest China programme has overseen long-term integrated community development projects in more than a dozen counties in Yunnnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. This work, which continue today, has included basic infrastructure, education, health, microfinance, literacy and skills training components.
From 1996, new programmes have been developed in China’s northwest, south and at national level. There has also been a shift of approach from projects implemented by OHK itself towards funding for projects that are implemented by local partner organisations. Along with participatory rural development, important themes of recent projects have been gender training and strengthening of women’s participation in development; the rights of migrant workers, especially women migrants; support for local NGOs and development of their capacity; and the mobilisation of local expertise to address issues of poverty alleviation, social, economic and environmental policy. In keeping with the approach jointly adopted by Oxfam International, OHK now defines its work in terms of securing six basic aims -- the right to a sustainable livelihood; the right to basic social services; the right to life and security, the right to equity and diversity; the right to be heard, and ‘global citizenship’. Each project intervention is designed to advance one or more of these aims.
In the year ending March 31 2003, Oxfam Hong Kong’s total income was HKD 121.5 million. Around 87% of this was raised in Hong Kong, mainly from some 60,000 regular supporters and through an annual sponsored walk. HKD 6.4 million was contributed by other Oxfams for project work in China. Around 44% of OHK’s programme expenditure was devoted to work in China, including Hong Kong.
Links
http://www.oxfam.org.hk
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