• The University of Saint Joseph invited Oxfam Macau to host a sharing session on local poverty.
• In the sharing session, Oxfam spoke about the global climate crisis that is exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor.

Oxfam Macau visited the Faculty of Business and Law of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ FBL) on Friday to organize a sharing session on local poverty. Oxfam Macau Programme Officer, Kou Sio In, discussed the relationship between climate change and social poverty and introduced a number of on-the-ground assistance programs based on the analysis of data and practical experience.

The session revealed that the global climate crisis is aggravating the gap between the rich and the poor. According to the data, the temperature of the earth between 2023 and 2024 set a new record, with the carbon emission of the richest 1% of the world’s population reaching 175 times that of the poorest 10%.

The minimum subsistence index in Macau is MOP 4,350 for a single-person household. An interactive game, “Experience the Minimum Cost of Living”, was played with students who were asked to plan their monthly expenses based on this amount. This activity allowed them to experience the pressure of living at the grassroots level.

The employment support program for people with disabilities provides essential support, and the “Project for Paper Recycling” has established a database of paper collectors. With a cumulative total of 500,000 kilograms of paper recovered, this initiative has benefited more than 6,000 recycling workers.

At the sharing session, Oxfam introduced four local service programs: the “Leftover Vegetables Recycling Programme”, which works with various social welfare organisations to recycle food in four districts on a daily basis, has recycled 210,000 kilograms of vegetables in 2023, benefiting 240,000 people; and the “Grassroots Students Free Tutoring Programme”, which assists more than 500 economically disadvantaged students each year, including children with special educational needs.

At the end of the seminar, Professor Florence Lei presented a commemorative gift to Oxfam on behalf of USJ FBL, recognizing its programs for their long-term contributions to social welfare and economic diversification. Oxfam encouraged students to engage in charitable work and support their various programs to contribute to the community. Professor Emil Marques provided on-the-spot interpretation.