The Oaktree Foundation
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HistoryThe Oaktree Foundation has spread its roots far and wide since its founding by Hugh Evans (2004 Young Australian of the Year), in March 2003.In 2002, Hugh lived and worked in the rural valley communities of the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Whilst there, Hugh oversaw the development of an educational resource centre and sports field in the poverty and HIV-AIDS stricken region of Embo. Witnessing the empowering and uplifting effect that the resource centre had on the community, Hugh came to understand the crucial role that education can play in assisting underprivileged societies. "Growing up in Melbourne with an excellent primary and secondary education, and then comparing this to the standard of education in the developing world has made me increasingly aware of my privileged position in society," said Hugh. Upon returning to Melbourne in early 2003, Hugh joined with a group of passionate young people to establish an organisation that would aim to combat some of the extensive inequalities that he had witnessed - and so The Oaktree Foundation was born. "When I came back from South Africa, I literally wished I had a public microphone so I could tell everyone that yes, issues of poverty are real, and yes, we can make a huge impact", says Hugh. Since Oaktree's founding, young people throughout Australia and the world have been inspired into action by Oaktree and all that it stands for. Each new wave of volunteers and supporters is being inspired by the Oaktree's progressive approach to solving basic issues of human rights in developing communities. ProjectsThe projects that the Oaktree looks to support are youth oriented as well as having a strong focus on education. The Oaktree has targeted education as a way of enabling those caught in the poverty cycle to break out of it themselves so that they are not reliant on hand outs into the future and can become young leaders within their own society and the world. The long term thinking associated with this focus is also translated into a focus on sustainability for the projects with whom we partner.VisionUltimately Oaktree would love to see equal educational opportunity for all young people across the world, as they believe that education is a key to breaking the poverty cycle. Oaktree believes that educated, empowered and motivated communities are better able to change their future.Our vision is of young people learning through partnership; young people in the developed world using and expanding their knowledge and skills to help young people in the developing world gain access to quality education. MissionThe Oaktree Foundation's mission statement is "to empower developing communities through education in a way that is sustainable."VolunteersThe Oaktree relies on the support of volunteers and mentors, primarily within Australia, but increasingly throughout the world with branches being established in the UK, the USA and South Africa. The Oaktree Foundation seeks to engage young people, helping them to see the importance of the issues of poverty and education in developing communities. They also aim to equip them with the tools to do something about it.This focus on advocacy, coupled with fundraising efforts, provides the main direction for the Oaktree's work. Oaktree volunteers spend a lot of time talking in schools, churches, universities and businesses raising awareness about the issues they are passionate about. This message is linked closely with the Oaktree's drive to further empower young people in more affluent countries within their own societies. To ensure this is never lost, one of the fundamental rules of the Oaktree is that only those who are under twenty-six years old can actively volunteer for the organisation. That is not to say that they shy away from the wisdom of those who are more experienced. Older persons provide help, guidance, and advice through the Oaktree's mentoring program. Acorn. School GroupsOaktree's message of youth empowerment is nowhere more important than in their work with school students. Within each school with whom the Oaktree has contact, the students set up an Oaktree club, or 'seed'. These 'seed groups' are where school students can organize fundraising and advocacy related events. They are well supported by the Oaktree Schools Network and often have an interested staff member involved as a mentor and a link to the school.The scope and creativity of ideas that school seeds have come up with and implemented is extraordinary. Some of these have included formal dinners for over one hundred people, art exhibitions, fun runs, and concerts. The Oaktree emphasizes that the possibilities are endless and with the right encouragement and forethought, school students can fully embrace the opportunity to take a leading role in their community. This is a testament to the education and opportunities they have received. The Oaktree's aim is for young people in developing communities to do likewise and become leaders not just for the future, but also for today. Dinners For LifeDinners for Life is Oaktree's major annual fundraising event. During 2005 the Dinners for Life campaign was held from Friday August 26 to Sunday September 4 and involved over 150 separate events. Dinners for Life aims to raise money to fund the Oaktree's current initiatives in Africa and South East Asia. They also aim to increase awareness of the Oaktree Foundation and social justice issues through these dinners. The idea behind Dinners for Life stems from the traditional notion of dinner being a time when groups of people come together to share a meal and conversation. Oaktree wants to apply this notion to a wider setting through holding events across Australia that are united through their common goal of providing educational opportunities for youth in the developing world. Through Dinners for Life the Oaktree aspires to create and build a stronger sense of community in Australia while simultaneously providing youth in the developing world a chance to break free from poverty. As of 2006, Oaktree's major fundraiser has been renamed to "One Day." September 1 has been set as the official date for "One Day" events and fundraising for this year. External links
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