In Kenya's capital, Nairobi, almost two million people live in informal settlements or 'slums'. Water and sanitation facilities are completely inadequate, disease rates are high and poverty is rife. Amy Christian travelled to the Mukuru slum in Kenya and discovered how one innovative toilet is saving lives and changing them for the better.
Australians love denim. 670,000 tonnes of the stuff in 2014 alone and with a $56 billion price tag. That’s a lot of cheddar, and a whole lot of denim. For the last two years we have pressured ten of the country’s largest garment manufacturers to sign the Bangladesh Fire and Building Safety Accord — but two companies refuse to sign.
Amrita Burde relocated from Mumbai to Brisbane in March 2014. Amrita’s passion for making a difference in her local community brought her to Oxfam’s door. Amrita has been volunteering with the Campaign and Major Gifts teams in Oxfam’s Brisbane office since January 2015. She shares her volunteer journey with us here.
The crisis facing Indigenous health has a long and complex history. While events like National Close the Gap Day bring the issue of Indigenous health equality to the public eye, the fight for health equality still continues. Tom Widdup, Close the Gap National Lead, shares his reflections after National Close the Gay Day 2015.
The Mekong river is a vital resource for poor and vulnerable people in the lower Mekong region, including essential water for fisheries and agriculture. Major development decisions — like dams — can affect the food security of the surrounding communities. The impacts of development on women and ethnic minorities is of particular concern.
You and your students are fired up about an issue — global poverty, Indigenous rights and equality, ethical fashion, the broken food system — whatever it is that’s got you going. But how do you translate that passion into action?
It was on Monday 23 March when the first Vanuatu ferry loaded its cargo of much-needed aid for some of the northern and most remote islands of Vanuatu. Oxfam had 400 hygiene kits on board ready to give to the worst affected communities on Ambrym Island.
In December, the world will come together to finalise a new global climate agreement. Well before negotiators land in Paris to hammer out the details, countries must announce their provisional targets for the post-2020 period, when the new agreement will take effect.
In its second year, the Close the Gap Instagram competition received more than 140 entries from across the nation. And when you hear the stories of our winners, it’s clear the challenge is much more than mucking around on social media, or even being heard on issues of national importance.
Cyclone Pam is a tragic reminder that least developed countries – who have contributed almost nothing to the problem of climate change – are suffering the devastating consequences of global inaction. The price paid by the people of Vanuatu increased sharply last week. We must stand with them.
