At The College of Idaho, references to the YoteFam are everywhere, from regular hashtags on social media to posters and banners emblazoned with the name. Now, the YoteFam won’t be the only “fam” making the campus a better place, as a new student organization called Oxfam is here to bring greater attention to the issue of global poverty.
“Oxfam’s mission is to spread the word that poverty is solvable,” said C of I Oxfam president and senior psychology major Lisanda Masilela. “We want to help people better understand what poverty means, how we can help prevent it, and make the campus aware of the things we can do as students to help those in need.”
The student organization is a chapter of Oxfam America, which is part of an international humanitarian confederation of charitable organizations dedicated to helping solve the issue of global poverty. Oxfam takes its name for the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief, the original group that was founded in Oxford, England in 1942.
Oxfam operates chapters across the globe, working in more than 90 countries to tackle conditions that cause poverty in the first place, such as assisting poor communities following disasters, providing increased opportunity for public education, and fighting for social justice in areas with strict laws and practices.
Masilela’s interest in bringing Oxfam to C of I was born from her interest in the issue of global poverty and a desire to volunteer. After receiving encouragement from staff members at the C of I, Masilela spent a week in Boston, Massachusetts last summer to take classes at Oxfam America’s headquarters, learning more about how Oxfam operates around the world and how she can apply those concepts and strategies on a local level.
“I learned a lot from being in Boston and got a lot of ideas,” Masilela said. “I can see huge things in my head for what we might be able to accomplish in Caldwell.”
Masilela said each Oxfam student chapter often chooses specific issues to focus on with the broader goal of addressing poverty. For the C of I’s focus, Masilela said the group will seek to bring additional attention to Idaho’s refugee population. At Oxfam’s first official event in October, a campus-wide barbeque, the group hosted Christina Bruce-Bennion from the Idaho Office for Refugees as a guest speaker to discuss possibilities for student volunteer opportunities in aiding local refugee families.
Oxfam at the C of I has been officially operating since October, working to recruit more students to their new group. Although the club is still small, Masilela hopes to grow Oxfam’s presence on campus with two major upcoming events. The first will be the Oxfam Hunger Banquet on November 15 at the C of I Simplot Dining Hall, an event that will illustrate to attendees the amount of food impoverished communities can afford compared to more affluent communities. The next will be the Oxfam Jam in spring, a local open-mic and concert still in the planning stages.
“A lot of the events we want to do will be helping people see the realities that people in poverty have to live with,” Masilela said. “But we want to show that these are all issues we can solve as a people. We can’t redistribute wealth ourselves, but we can look at issues that cause poverty in the first place.”
To keep up with C of I Oxfam, follow their Facebook page here.
The College of Idaho has a 125-year-old legacy of excellence. The C of I is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition and history of producing successful graduates, including seven Rhodes Scholars, three governors, four NFL players and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom. For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.