On Friday the 10th of August I found myself on King Square in Fremantle. A city I hadn’t even heard of before, in my life. My name is Ruben and I’m a student from Germany. By chance I came into contact with Oxfam and signed up for two months of volunteering in Australia.
The first outdoor activity I took part in was a promotion for a photo exhibition on the 26th of August. By holding up enormous letters that spelled out “Make Poverty History”, dozens of Oxfam volunteers, friendly onlookers and I grouped up to raise attention to the exhibition launched by the local MP Melissa Parke, whom I even got to know personally (she’s the one in the middle holding the picture).
The Photo exhibition “Positive Stories of Lives Changed by Australian Aid” is a reminder to politicians to stay on track with the Millennium Development Goals of halving the world’s poverty by 2015.
Special guests will be Fremantle’s Mayor Brad Pettitt, Oxfam Australia’s Executive Director Andrew Hewett, host, MP Melissa Parke and freelance journalist Ronald Mizen, who recently returned from South Sudan with Save The Children and who has prepared a short ‘news feature’ video clip about his trip.
In the hope of getting some of you interested, I invite you to attend the event at the Film and Television Institute. It starts at 4pm to 5:30 on Sunday the 26th of August and the opening will include free Fair trade nibbles and tea and coffee.
Oh by the way, I’m the one holding the “O”.
WHAT: Make Poverty History Photographic Exhibition Opening
WHEN: Sunday, 26 August 2012
WHERE: The Film and Television Institute, 92 Adelaide Street Fremantle
by Oxfam Intern Ruben Ebeler
