Spot the difference
In the right hands, a little help goes a very long way. Here are a few examples of poor people doing it for themselves, with support from Oxfam.
Seeds and tools
In drought-prone Mauritania, making a living can be desperately hard – so we gave people in Male Commune seeds, tools and training. They put in the work, and now have flourishing vegetable gardens, providing food and income.
Photo: Geoff Sayer
Supporting schools
Education is vital in fighting poverty. Villagers in Kakolo, Zambia, knew this and built their own small community school – we just helped make it bigger, and supplied equipment and teacher training. Eventually they won local funding. It now has 1,200 students.
Photo: Martha Douglass
Safe drinking water
Dirty water can kill. In north-eastern Brazil, there’s little rain and people have to risk drinking whatever water they find. Along with the Brazilian government, Oxfam is helping local organisations to build a staggering one million cisterns to catch rain – for clean water, all year round.
Photo: Anna Melland
Giving people a voice
Many women in India lead restricted lives, and suffer greatly from poverty. In Bundelkhand, we’re supporting women standing up for their right to a fuller life – as they bravely and imaginatively challenge traditional attitudes, through using community theatre, for instance.
Photo: Rajendra Shaw
Preventing disaster
Natural disasters can be devastating, especially to poor communities forced to live in vulnerable areas. Oxfam is working in places like Sandia, Peru – helping people set up their own ‘early warning systems’, to better prepare them for frequent mud slides.
Photo: Jane Beesley
