This Volunteers’ Week, Oxfam Scotland is celebrating the importance of our network of dedicated volunteers in our work to end poverty. Here, social & digital media volunteer Adrian Doherty explains why he gives so much of his time to help Oxfam.
“Everyone should do their bit to help make the world a better place, whenever and however they can.
In the nineties, I was shocked to learn that about 30,000 children under five died every day from largely preventable causes.
Eight years ago, when I had some time to give back, I saw that Oxfam Scotland were looking for social and digital media help so I called them up and soon started giving my time and skills to supplement and complement their staff.
I’ve been helping them almost every day in one way or another since then, alongside full-time employment. But why do I help Oxfam amongst all the very worthy charities?
• They tackle my pet concern, child mortality, head on as a main priority.
• They have very efficient delivery of donations to the front-line at 82%, in other words, 82p in every pound donated to Oxfam goes to direct activities.
• They focus on solving the long-term causes of poverty as well as giving emergency relief.
• They work locally, nationally and internationally addressing different forms of injustice.
Since the nineties the child mortality rate has almost halved. We’ve made progress, the world is slowly getting better, but there is still a very long way to go. I love helping Oxfam, in my own way, and hope to continue doing so for a long time to come.
Can you do more to help make a better world? Pick the issue you care about most and find your way to help tackle it. Together we can make a difference.”
Photo shows Adrian on a recent private trip to Washington DC where he was glad to be able to pop in and say hello to some of the Oxfam America folk.