Blog Against Poverty With Oxfam
As a social advocate for justice it breaks my heart that men and women are forced to live in deprivation
as a direct consequence of financial limitations where the richest 1% control the majority of production and restrict their peoples ability to work and generate a steady income. With over 896 million worldwide in abject poverty the humanitarian crisis has never been more prominient and none more so than The Democratic Republic of Congo. Home to a population of 81 million Congo once known as Zaire was devastated by the Congolese Wars (1996) which led to the death of 5.4 million men, women and children. As a result the DRC is struggling to build back their economy and they need our help to get back on their feet. These innocent men and women must fight for their right to live and it brings tears to my eyes that we are not doing more to highlight their oppression. That is why I have teamed up with Oxfam to show how me and you can be doing more to help our worldwide community. No matter whether you are a fashion, food, lifestyle, beauty or parent blogger we can unite to make social change happen.
In DRC Oxfam are offering a unique approach to helping civilians put their best foot forward with; training sessions have been set up to teach men and women how to sew, tailor and make baskets especially if these workers have been forced to flee their homes due to conflict and bloodshed. But Oxfam need your help, with your donations these workers can have the freedom to set up their own businesses and be empowered through the medium of individual learning. Moreover your donations will not only expand their skill sets and improve their knowledge of tailoring to provide an income but they will also access sanitation and warm bedding. We take our luxuries for granted but are never content with what we have got. Spare a thought for these men and women who work tirelessly day and night to scrape by on meagre income, who would give their last breath just to protect their starving children and wait in hope of something more. Like Angelina Jolie I believe it is the Western world's duty to help those in need and offer them the help and support that we would desire ourselves. Is that too much to ask for?
When *Hubert fled his family home to join the Kibati camp he managed to salvage one key item, a sewing machine that proved to be the key to his survival. Living in Kimbuba war and violence became the norm and the endless drones of shots being fired meant that another person had died a senseless death. It was all becoming too much, at 26 Hubert knew that he had to escape to save his family and gathered his sewing machine, the tattered remains of the clothes he had left and tied it up to a chukado. Not knowing whether he would survive the perilous journey he pushed himself with no other thought but the innate desire to put food on the table for his family. Together with Oxfam he helped save his family from starvation and worked alongside other refugees to give their families a better quality of life. Selfless, brave and true heroes these warriors were able to escape the war and bloodshed but there are many who cannot and they need our support.
Today £2.50 can provide 25 water treatment sachets in the event of an emergency , enough to last a family of four a month. Just as little as £5 can provide 20 'Oxfam Buckets' which allows people to access clean water without risk of contamination and disease. If you are looking to make a more solid contribution £20 the equivalent to an on-trend dress can offer warm bedding to keep civilians safe and well covered from the elements. We all have 2.50 in our wallets so why not give someone the chance to have a brighter future? Why not teach those chidren, men and women that there is more to life; life is about helping others and not trampling over the poor to get to the top. Yet sadly we see too many businesses and government officials ostracizing those in poverty labelling them as 'lazy' or a taboo to not be spoken about. This is wrong and something we should not take so lightly, imagine if you were in that position- alone and afraid- with no steady income to support yourself but the need to keep going for their family and friends.
That is why I am proud to stand by Oxfam because their mission and manifesto to provide sanitation, education and empowerment is all ethoses that I represent. Through compassion and love we can help others and in turn feel better about ourselves. How many of you find that helping others makes you feel better about yourselves or have the overwhelming desire to help those in need? Chances are a lot more than you think. So will you join me in the fight against poverty and stand for the rights of civilians like us? Will you give them the opportunity to learn how to sew and create garments to feed themselves and their families? You all well know that I believe in equal rights and oppurtunities and Oxfam is ethical and fully supports freedom of expression, speech and the freedom to rebuild their lives once again. War may have beat The Democratic Republic of Congo once but it wont do it again.
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What are your thoughts on Oxfam & do you support any other charities?