The Oxfam campus club is determined to mobilize the power of people against poverty.

Created more than 20 years ago, the University of Saskatchewan chapter of Oxfam Canada aims to help vulnerable people around the world by focusing on the root causes of injustices and inequality.

“Oxfam has been campaigning on a GROW campaign for the past two years,” said general member Davida Bentham. “GROW is looking at the food system and how women’s roles play into that.”

The GROW campaign aims to address the factors that lead to increasing food prices by supporting small-scale farming and combating climate change. On Oct. 16, a date internationally recognized as World Food Day, the U of S Oxfam club hosted the Pailwalker event to draw attention to the increasing distances women around the world must walk to collect water.

The event was held at 7 a.m. in the Bowl. The Oxfam club invited the campus community to carry one day’s worth of water six kilometers, the average distance that women in the developing world walk to collect water every day.

“It’s a lot of time women are spending walking further distances to collect water, instead of time they could be going to school or participating in community activities and childcare,” said Bentham. “We’re walking in solidarity with those women.”

The group of about 15 looped the Bowl 18 times. Bentham says if nothing is done to combat climate change, rural women could be marginalized further.

Bentham, who is in her second year of a Master’s degree at the School of Environment and Sustainability, says she got involved with Oxfam in her first year of university after learning about the organization in high school.

“In high school I was involved in HUE club, which is human rights, UNICEF and environment,” Bentham said. “I came to campus and there was no UNICEF club, but Oxfam had presented at my high school. I looked it up and started attending meetings.”

In December, the club will be kicking off the Oxfam Unwrapped alternative gift-giving campaign. Instead of buying gifts, participants purchase livestock for families in the developing world through the Livelihoods Fund.

The club also hosts movie nights and socials. In September, the club held a fundraiser at the Woods Ale House. Dubbed OxJam, the event featured a number of different bands.

Bentham says the club is an opportunity for students to learn about international development, “especially if you aren’t in international studies or political studies but still have an interest in those kinds of topics.

“It’s a great way to participate in the larger community,” said Bentham.

Students wanting more information on the Oxfam club can visit the club’s Facebook page or email the group’s organizers at oxfamsaskatoon@gmail.com.