Oxfam International’s "Day of Hope" urges Zapatero to provide measures against poverty

It is April 25, 2010 in Reina Sofia Museum Square (Madrid), which hosts the 16th edition of “A Day for Hope", the day that the NGO Oxfam focuses on the actions of social mobilization and awareness. A very light green, the color of the organization, fills the square to press Zapatero to fulfill his promise to end poverty in the world.

With the slogan of "Thank you José Luis, because you will do it, won’t you?" and a nice caricature of the President, several members of the NGO collect signatures. The objective is designed to take the Presidency of Spain in the European Union to urge the UN to effectively meet the so-called Millennium Development Goals. Intermón, along with another NGOs, stresses that it would be effective to achieve the desired measures such as 0.7%, the eradication of hunger and ensure access to health and education for everyone.

It is 13:32 and, according to data which shows a manual scoreboard operated by volunteers, 300 people have already signed up for the cause. To all these signatures must be added the ones that are made by Intermón web.

It is estimated that there are currently 1.4 billion people surviving on less than one euro a day, and that 70% of them are women. In addition, every minute 100 people descend to the level of poverty. Gloria Bigné, director of Oxfam in Madrid, raised on behalf of the organization a challenge in solidarity: "we can change this data if 100 other people accept help to stop it."

Stands that have been in this place today join both children and adults on several objectives: a sample of the work of the NGOs, social awareness projects, recruitment of members and volunteers, and a broad set of fair trade products, which is bringing predominantly female audience. Children can also make masks of colors, drawings of solidarity and they can also play that they give products to Ecuadorian farmers in some workshops where they explain the real problems with activities that suit their age.

In the "Day of Hope” this year, Intermón leads us to understand the situation of farm households from Cayambe (Ecuador). A cow and a cardboard box with some food that is normally available in the Spanish market illustrate the current problem of the South American region. As explained by the volunteer Ana Roca, "the irrigated lands are owned by factories and businesses, and small farmers are forced to work in fields where they grow crops without irrigation. The problem is that in these lands are less harvested products that are sold in low prices”. Therefore, this NGO works to ensure the construction of irrigation tanks and the installation of irrigation systems.

"A day for hope" is a party, so there is also a bar, a good way to relief the 26 degrees registered after noon. There is also a stage where artists are singing, as DePedro, founder of Vacazul and collaborator of groups like Amparanoia, and other groups of dancers of capoeira and batuka.