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Oxfam’s first grant in South America was made in 1958, for a project in Brazil. Oxfam has had staff and offices there since 1968. The national office is located in Recife and an Advocacy and Campaigns office was opened in Brasilia in 2001.

Oxfam is currently implementing five programmes with 46 partners, made up of grassroots organisations, community groups, trade unions, local and national non-government organisations, and different networks and social movements.

Programmes focus on long-term sustainable solutions to poverty, but also include advocacy and campaigning, and emergency relief work.

• Sustainable livelihoods programme: We support initiatives intended to improve the quality of life of small-scale farmers. In particular we promote fair access to markets for poor producers. We also lobby the government and official bodies to defend and encourage the enforcement of the rights and interests of small farmers.
• Urban programme: In this programme we work with local organisations to develop public policies that seek to eliminate urban poverty and will promote people’s “right to the city”.
• Resource mobilisation programme: We help our partners develop their strengths in the areas of communication, marketing, campaigns, voluntary work, and fundraising initiatives.
• Traditional populations programme: We work with ethnic groups, indigenous peoples and Quilombolas afro-descendant communities to help them influence decisions which affect their lives, and find ways to overcome the discrimination to which they are subjected because of their ethnic and cultural identity.
  
• Advocacy and campaigns programme: The advocacy programme focuses on different actions such as campaigns, political influence, research and media work. It is strongly related to organisations acting at a national level. It is always looking to influence policies that may change the lives of those living in poverty.

In Brazil, the Make Trade Fair campaign focuses on certain issues such as intellectual property laws (with emphasis on medicines); commodities, especially coffee; agriculture (dumping, subsidies and local policies); and investment and integration agreements, including the FTAA. Oxfam also supports a National Education Campaign for good quality basic education for all.

Last updated: June 04