Scarlett Johansson Joins Forces with Oxfam

Starlet Scarlett Johansson has joined international agency Oxfam's commitment to end poverty after a ten-day tour with the organization through India and Sri Lanka.

The actress has committed to help end poverty after meeting survivors of the 2004 Tsunami and learning how education and health care are keys to relieving poverty.

Oxfam is dedicated to fighting poverty and related injustice around the world operating under 13 independent non-government organizations.

In a recent press release, Oxfam's Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs expressed how Ms. Johansson's support would help draw attention to the organization's efforts. He said, "by supporting Oxfam, Scarlett is taking a stand alongside millions of people globally who are working to overcome poverty. Her support is crucial in helping to show how the smallest donation to Oxfam can mean a world of difference to a poor community."

Ms. Johansson witnessed Oxfam's Tsunami response efforts in Sri Lanka as she traveled with the international development organization. Ms. Johansson met Bandawathi Maitipe, a Tsunami survivor who lost both her husband and a son in the disaster. The encounter had a profound effect on the actress who said, "The devastation both directly and indirectly as a result of the tsunami is overwhelming."

Oxfam has been active in Sri Lanka since 1968. Since 2004, the international agency has helped over 600,000 Tsunami survivors through housing, livelihoods support, small loans and grants for business development, education, health amenities and shelter.

In Uttar Pradesh, India, Ms. Johansson spent a day at an Oxfam-funded school that offers education to children from the lowest Dalit caste. Oxfam statistics state that in the rural Utter Pradesh, 70% of girls have never enrolled in school.

Ms. Johansson also met with survivors of domestic violence in Delhi. Oxfam's "We Can" campaign is focused on overcoming domestic violence which the organization says affects millions of women in South Asia.

Oxfam has been active in India for over fifty years providing assistance with livelihood development, education, HIV/AIDS and indigenous rights. One third of the country's population lives below the poverty line or $1 USD per day, 2 in 3 people live on less than $2 USD per day and most live without a 24-hour water supply.

In an Oxfam press release, Scarlett Johansson said "having visited Oxfam-funded school programs in rural communities has made me realize how vital education is to developing countries in bringing people out of poverty and giving them a sense of dignity, self-worth and confidence."

Ms. Johansson had skipped the 2007 Oscar ceremonies to partake in the tour with the international agency. She said the trip was "an incredible opportunity to see the grass roots approach being taken by non-governmental organizations, such as Oxfam, towards reconstructing the lives of this devastated country."

Sources:

"Actor Scarlett Johansson Visits India & Sri Lanka; Commits to Helping End Poverty" http://www.prweb.com/releases/Scarlett_Johansson/OxFam_America/prweb507962.htm

www.oxfamamerica.org