Category: In the field

Imagine if the lifestyle your family had led for generations was on the verge of extinction. Would you cling determinedly to the old ways or would you bite the bullet and make whatever changes were necessary to survive? Herding families in the southern Ethiopian village of Melka Guba were forced to make this decision. Years […] Read more »

It’s easy to get caught up in the material anxieties of the holiday season. For a bit of perspective we bring you the story of Maree, a 23-year-old Cambodian woman living with her mother in the Takeo district of Cambodia. Maree doesn’t own any land, so she travels 90 km to Phnom Penh to work […] Read more »

Running water is one of those little things in life that we depend on without really considering. But stop and think for a minute: If you couldn’t turn the on tap, would you even know the location of your nearest water source? For Bhoomy Deungmarny the answer is the KaPanh River, about 400 metres from […] Read more »

Today, across the world, 4,900 people will die because they have AIDS. Another 7,100 will be infected with HIV. That’s 12,000 people directly affected in one day – not including the families and community members who are also affected when a person they know contracts HIV. A staggering three-quarters of those deaths and two-thirds of […] Read more »

Literacy enlightens, empowers, inspires and increases a woman’s ability to earn a living. The more she learns, the better she’ll understand her rights — and the more likely she’ll be to speak up for herself. This is precisely the aim of the Yehimbole Literacy Project (YLP), a new community-led adult literacy program recently established in […] Read more »

A group of women in India are working their way out of poverty, using other people’s rubbish to build a better life. This eye-opening short film shows just how they’re going about it. Read more »

Earlier this month we introduced you to Oeun, the face of our Clean water saves lives appeal. This week, in the second part of Oeun’s story, she talks about the importance of hygiene education and the impact that unclean water can have on economic survival. Read more »

A report commissioned by the Lao Government to evaluate the Xayaburi Dam’s compliance with the Meekong River Commissions requirements has been labelled by opposition groups as a “greenwash”. Read more »

Ever wondered what it’d be like working for Oxfam in the field? This interview with our Laos country director provides a rare glimpse into the highlights, the challenges, and the day-to-day details of her work. Read more »

Kut Oeun, a 35-year-old mother of four in rural Cambodia, is the face of our 2011 Water Appeal. But she’s more than just a face on a campaign. Oeun and her family spoke to Oxfam Australia at length about life in their village, particularly the struggles that come from having limited access to clean water. Read more »