What We Do

A woman at a local market in Darfur region, Sudan. Mutaz Mustafa/Oxfam

From the ground, up

Our work in the region aims to improve the lives of people living in the ten countries we work in namely Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. This work is delivered by highly capable program teams at all levels in the countries and complemented by regional and global capacity predominantly around fundraising, influencing, program quality and learning.

Across the region, we partner with others to achieve change at scale through influencing local, national, regional and global policies and practices of states and the private sector, to augment and strengthen civil society capacity and to broker partnerships. We work to ensure women and men’s immediate needs for protection and support are met, and to develop solutions to improve people’s lives in the long term.

Our Transformation Agenda

Through our work at country, regional and global levels, we will seek to be effective today and relevant tomorrow. Therefore, our key strategic priorities will be aimed at:

  • Deepening transformative feminist leadership.

  • Deepening quality & impact of current development and humanitarian portfolio with a strong emphasis on a one program approach.

  • Knowledge and thought leadership on current work and mega-trends – tackling root causes of conflicts, inequality, urbanization & integrating technology.

  • Nurture and consolidate transformative partnerships – leading, convening and brokering stakeholder dialogues.

  • Pioneering alternative operating and financing models.

  • Strengthening synergies and connectedness across themes and teams in the region and within the confederation.

How we will be measured

  • Future proof in sustaining the regular and timely analysis of the changing HECA context and demonstrate agility and adaptability.

  • ‘Constructive irrelevance’ where the scope of what we do and where we work is smaller and we have ceded greater space to stronger and better organized national and regional civil society.

  • Impact at Scale achieved by people especially women, regardless of their circumstances and status, enjoying their entitlements and right to life of dignity.

Susan campaigning for a leadership position in the Rhino Refugee Settlement, Uganda. Jose Mario/Oxfam

Refugees are often victims of the conflicts they flee from. But the pain and sorrow we have endured also drive our commitment to peace - the most durable solution.

Fatima seated outside her home in Darfur, Sudan. Amal Abdelgadir/Oxfam

Two years ago, deadly fighting broke out in Fatima's village in Darfur making her childhood dream of becoming a doctor seem impossible to reach. But an Oxfam training her helped get it back....

Khadija at a community meeting in eastern Somaliland. (Oxfam)
By AbdiAziz Adani

"It’s exclusionary. When only men are making decisions that affect women, and no women are involved, women can feel injustice. Women are often not even informed of the decision-making,'' says Khadija, a women's rights activist in eastern Somaliland....

Turkana county in northern Kenya where oil extraction is gaining momentum. Kieran Doherty/Oxfam

The oil, gas and mining industries in the region are positioned to grow and potentially trigger broad based development and industrialization. But what is the cost?

Louise has fled fighting five times and a natural disaster once. She lost her husband and three children in one week. Louise is a member of Oxfam’s Protection Programme in North Kivu, DRC. Eleanor Farmer/Oxfam

We aim to help individuals prevent, and respond to, violence and abuse, while also holding duty-bearers to account for the protection of civilians in emergencies.

A Burundian refugee receives a bucket and jerry cans at an Oxfam distribution in Nduta camp, Tanzania. Amy Christian/Oxfam

In any emergency, access to clean safe water and sanitation services is essential in enhancing people's dignity...

Taking a market based approach, our activities focus on saving and sustaining lives as well as helping people recover and rebuild their livelihoods.

Women transport wet concrete to construct a water reservoir in their village in North Darfur, Sudan.

When communities understand what risks they face and how they could mitigate them, future disasters become less devastating and development gains are sustained.