Oxfam Live came to Manchester last night and we were treated to an inspirational evening from some of Oxfam’s finest.
There was a brilliant turn out as the evening kicked off with an introduction from Oxfam’s Campaigns Director, Thomas Schultz-Jagow and Head of WI in the North West, Sybil Graham.
The audience of local activists, students, Oxfam volunteers, fundraisers and supporters got first hand accounts of how Oxfam works and how it plans and prioritises international programme work. The audience was split into groups to battle it out over how they would prioritise funding if they were in charge of an international programme. Tackling big issues such as climate change and girls’ education created a big buzz about the room as groups debated the importance of each and demonstrated just how difficult a job Oxfam is managing to do around the globe. Having visited some of the countries where these issues are prominent, I could fully appreciate how difficult this task was when thinking about the real lives such decisions affect.
It was really great to hear from Oxfam’s own as they spoke about all the amazing work that goes on here in the North West. From school speakers to shop volunteers and from all ages, the commitment to Oxfam’s work was clear to see. It obviously inspired others to act as well as there were queues to sign up to volunteer opportunities at the end of the evening.
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening was the chance to hear from Arbab Shakar, an Oxfam programme officer working in Pakistan. His fascinating talk gave us an exclusive insight into Oxfam’s work in Pakistan and brought home just how important the work that goes on all over the UK is in order for overseas projects to be supported. Shakar’s accounts of the individuals he has worked with through Oxfam helped us to see the real people behind the statistics and the real reason that brought us all together.
It was a fantastic evening and a real success. Feeling motivated and inspired to work more with Oxfam North West, I went home with the amazing work that goes on in Oxfam around the world clear in my mind.