Oxfam Impact

Fighting hunger in Mogadishu

Oxfam America — 2012-02-07T16:39:24Z

For Raha Janaqow, country director for SAACID, Oxfam's partner in Somalia, work is the only salve for the devastation around her—work that is saving the lives of thousands of malnourished children who have made their way to one of 14 community therapeutic care centers SAACID operates across the conflict-ridden capital of Mogadishu.

In war-torn Darfur, a stove with a mission

csoares — 2011-07-28T18:27:23Z

But when engineers, aid agencies, and disaster-affected communities join forces to confront a challenge like this, the results can be far-reaching.

An eternal stranger comes home

csoares — 2011-06-22T14:36:23Z

In southern Mali, organic farming helps women overcome inequality and claim a place of their own.

Mechanical advantage

csoares — 2011-06-08T14:33:43Z

When Sorn Ken weeds her rice fields, she likes to have company. Her sister So Van helps her in her field, and Sorn will help So in hers. “We chitchat, and when we get tired we take a rest and keep chitchatting,” she says at the edge of her sister’s field. “It’s kind of fun to weed the field with others.” Sorn says she spends less time weeding her fields than she used to since she started using a mechanical weeding device she helped create with assistance from Oxfam’s partner in Cambodia, RACHANA, an organization based in the southern Takeo province. When farmers use this new tool, they can accomplish in a few hours what used to take them many days.

Oxfam supported RACHANA in designing and testing the mechanical weeders that help farmers grow more rice. Switching to innovative rice-growing systems and using a mechanical weeder can create more than 100 percent gains in production—a huge improvement for small-scale rice growers like Sorn and her sister.

Una vida diferente | A different life

csoares — 2011-03-21T17:53:50Z

Widespread cultural change is slow work: At the highest levels, laws must be in place to safeguard peoples’ rights. On the ground, women and men must re-examine how they think and act. In El Salvador, the next chapter in a battle against gender violence is a broad-based education initiative.

Sowing seeds of self-reliance in Ethiopia

csoares — 2011-07-18T18:23:34Z

With an initial investment from Oxfam, community-owned grain banks allow Ethiopians to feed the World Food Programme.

Now we know

csoares — 2010-10-21T15:05:58Z

A collaboration between local citizens’ committees and officials in Peru shows how communities can create lasting change by holding governments accountable.

Exchanging tea for respect

csoares — 2011-05-16T17:07:14Z

A savings group in Senegal breeds entrepreneurs and independence on just a few cents a week.

Yellow alert: Taking action to prevent disasters

csoares — 2010-04-16T16:00:58Z

Months of community education and preparation saved lives when floods struck El Salvador.

Small herds support families during hard times

csoares — 2011-07-18T18:27:15Z

Programs that distribute goats and sheep help Ethiopian herders recover from drought.

Oxfam Impact July 2009

mborum — 2009-07-27T17:13:54Z

An innovative savings and loan program is helping people work their own way out of extreme poverty. Women in Mali are leading the way as the program expands to other countries and continents.

Oxfam Impact April 2009

mborum — 2009-04-20T22:16:40Z

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a cholera epidemic that has sickened 91,000 people and killed more than 4,000 of them. With clean water and public health education, Oxfam and its local partner organization are fighting the spread of the deadly disease.

Oxfam Impact January 2009

mborum — 2009-03-25T20:42:13Z

In the aftermath of disasters, Oxfam looks for opportunities to help people build back in ways that will improve—not just restore—their living conditions. A key to our success is following the lead of communities. In one Sri Lankan village, that meant helping farmers realize their dream of drawing water to their fields from a nearby river.

Oxfam Impact July 2008

mborum — 2009-03-25T20:42:31Z

By safeguarding their forests, communities in Vietnam strengthen their ability to earn a living, protect biodiversity, and build resilience to climate change.

Oxfam Impact April 2008

mborum — 2009-03-25T20:26:15Z

For poor communities in Zacatecoluca, El Salvador, a severe tropical storm in 2007 brought floods and contaminated drinking water. Now, thanks to disaster risk reduction work by Oxfam America and partner organizations, people in this region are better able to weather the storms.