CEO of Oxfam India talks about the biggest global fundraiser

Midday has partnered with Oxfam India amid the preparations of their biggest global fundraiserOxfam Trailwalker Following is the interview with Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar where he talks about the eventQ1 Tell us what is the concept behind Oxfam Trailwalkerwhat are some of the causes you have raised funds for over the years and an overview of the kind of response you have gotWe have our roots back in 1980sIn 1981Brigadier Mervyn Leedesigned ateam training endurance exercise for the Queens Gurkha Signals in Hong Kong In 1986 civilians were allowed to participate in the event and Oxfam Hong Kong was invited to coorganiseWe expanded our footprint in the coming years mdash 18 exciting trails in 10 countries as of dateOxfam Trailwalker is Oxfams biggest annual fundraiser globally and every year thousands of people walk to support our workIn India Trailwalker debuted in Bengaluru in 2012 followed by Mumbai in 2013 and has seen 16 successful editions since We raise and utilise funds towards Oxfam Indias different programmes and campaigns mdash gender justice education and healthcare and humanitarian aid to name a few Over years we have seen incredible support and it has only been an upward graph since inception In 201920 around 500 teams participated in the event in IndiaQ2 Share the challenges of organising the Oxfam Trailwalker this year and how you zeroed upon the theme What has the response of participants been like to a virtual challenge Do share some heartwarming examplesIt is safe to say that 2020 is nothing like what we have ever seen in our lifetimes By the month of April the picture had become crystal clear for us mdashno physical Trailwalker events in Mumbai and Bengaluru for 202021In March the governmentimposed lockdown left millions ofinformal sector migrant workers who are the backbone of our economyout on the roads Left to fend for themselves they walked Many reached their destinations many died it was a heartrending spectacle Oxfam India and partners were quick to get to the ground with immediate support and relief across the countryWe decided to holdOxfam Trailwalkervirtually andwalk in solidaritywith those who suffered immensely The funds raised are being used towards our threepronged COVID19 relief efforts which are still ongoing along with our other campaignsHolding a virtual Trailwalker was uncharted territory for us at Oxfam India It looked like a formidable task especially given the tight timelines we were running with Our team left no stone unturned to quickly build the technical foundation for the event and there we were ready and rollingThe response has been outright overwhelming Our past walkers donors volunteers staff members and more people are all coming out in support and participating from across the globe from walking in the searing heat in Bahrain to braving the freezing temperatures in Canada to walking in the famous Mumbai rain We couldnt have been prouder of all the participants who have proven that the power of togetherness is unmatched even if we are all together virtuallyQ3 What has the pandemic revealed about the economic divide within the country Tell us about some of the work Oxfam has done to help the migrant workers post the lockdown Can you share what you saw and experienced on the groundThe pandemic laid bare open the vast economic divide in the country When millions of migrant workers started walking home thousands of miles away after the lockdown it was a clear sign that the country the government the factories and industries they worked for failed them The migrant workers and the informal sector workers are the backbone of the country and the lockdown simply showed how easily we let them down and left them to fend for themselves or worse dieOxfam India was on the ground within days of the lockdown being announced to assess and prepare for the humanitarian crisis that the pandemic was about to blow up into Through our projects Project PSP Protect Secure Preserve and lsquoProject Pathikrsquo for the workers walking home we distributed hot cooked meals ration kits to take care of a family of five for at least a month safety and PPE kits for frontline workers and medical and nonmedical staff in hospitals hygiene kits including sanitary pads and soaps and cash transfers of 5000 RsWe reached workers who were stranded and walking back home those whose daily wages had been hit due to the lockdown like rag pickers beggars brick kiln workers the homelessmdash across the country to tide over the immediate financial crisis they were pushed intoBetween March 30 to Nov 8 Oxfam India has been in 16 states and provided dry ration kits for nearly 74000 families ie 369605 people distributed over 60000 packets of hot cooked meals disbursed Rs 25095 lakh as unconditional cash transfers to over 5000 households We provided 48019 safety kits amp 6426PPE kits Mobile vans were run in different districts to spread awareness about the virus and its prevention Trainings were held with volunteers and partner NGO staff to ensure the smooth and safe implementation of the distribution Q4 What can India do to enable a more equitable distribution of resources to the most vulnerable at this time Do you think there is enough media coverage about the issues being faced by the marginalised during the pandemicThese are unprecedented times We need community support and compassion in these times The government should put Indiarsquos poor at the centre of its fiscal stimulus and focusing on strengthening public health and education services is the first step in that direction At a time when 12 crore Indians have recently lost their jobs it is also crucial to regulate private providers of health and education to prevent cases of profiteering and overcharging This pandemic is a defining moment in Indiarsquos history Whether it makes it selfreliant or dependent is upon the governmentWhile there was coverage of the migrant workers walking back home it was not enough Much more needs to be done across media outlets TV Print Digital to bring more focus on the people who are suffering because of the pandemicQ5 How does Oxfam plan to help the migrants post the ongoing Trailwalker What more can citizens already involved in fundraisers like this do to help the underserved on a daily or regular basisThe lockdown may be over but the pandemic is still on There are many who are gradually returning to their places of work But there are many more who have lost their jobs have run out of savings and have no way of sustaining their families Oxfam India has been reaching out to workers and the most marginalised families They still need support We are continuing to reach people with food safety and hygiene kits cash and awareness drives We need to sustain thisMoreover the pandemic has shown that the healthcare system is either very poor or too expensive and out of reach The private healthcare system is too expensive and beyond affordable for the poor mdash there have been cases of rampant overcharging during COVID the public healthcare system was not well equipped to bear the burden of the rising number of cases Despite this the public healthcare system managed to handle most of the cases At Oxfam India we are campaigning with the government to regulate the private hospitals so that it is accessible and affordable to all Similarly with the lockdown education too has taken a hit While on the one hand there are children who have been forced to drop out of school or abruptly end their studies due to lack of internet facilities and on the other there are private schools who have hiked fees during COVID making it difficult for many parents who might have lost jobs or seen a reduction in their salaries to continue classes for their children We are campaigning to regulate private schools We want to ensure that there is no discrimination against those who are marginalised and vulnerableAt an individual level there is a need to ensure that those dependent on us get their wages on time People can also support us so that we are able to continue with our humanitarian responses as well as advocate with the government for better healthcare and better education systemKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever