Oxfam ‘Spend Local’ Initiative Comes Under Fire
2018-07-31
An initiative encouraging Oxfam aid workers to put money back into the overseas communities they’re helping came under fire this week.
Newspapers and other media have seized on the fact that most efforts to put the initiative into practice, appear to have been skewed towards the service sector, and are benefitting a very narrow and specific demographic.
A spokesperson for the charity was unapologetic when we caught up with him as he picked up a prescription at a pharmacy in downtown Addis Ababa “We’re just trying to put some money into the local communities. Yes, the initial point of entry – so to speak – is predominantly young women in the 18-25 age group, but we’re great believers in the cascade of wealth process. Everyone in the local community will ultimately benefit.”
As The Bugle to press, there were unconfirmed reports that the charity was attempting to redress the age and gender opportunity imbalance by allocating every aid worker with their own punkah wallah.
