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| Posie and David Dauphiné |
Posie and David Dauphiné first encountered Oxfam while on a choir trip to Durham Cathedral in Great Britain. Unprepared for the unexpected cold weather, they visited a local Oxfam shop for much needed warm clothes. They also picked up a brochure describing Oxfam's work. After returning home, David wanted to learn more so he signed up to be a member of Oxfam America's e-community. Inspired by what he learned from the e-mail updates about Oxfam's mission and in-country programs, he began what has become years of monthly contributions.
His growing interest in Oxfam culminated in a trip to the Boston office. There, he met with Oxfam staff to learn more about a variety of programs. At the end of his day, he had the chance to meet with Muthoni Muriu, Director for Regional Programs. He didn't realize that the conversation would help him find a new direction.
"In retirement, I thought I would volunteer overseas to help lighten the suffering in the world. Muthoni encouraged me to think about volunteering at home to help build a stronger local community there. She helped me understand that sustainable programs work best when the ideas are generated by local communities and local organizers. A light came on in my head and I remembered a friend's failed international project. What I thought had been a great idea lacked local support. She hadn't asked the community members about their needs or asked them to think about solutions. To her dismay, the project was rejected by the community. In the end, her efforts may have created more harm than good by causing a rift within the social fabric of the community. I decided that my interest in helping others around the world would be best served with faith and trust in an organization like Oxfam."
David has also included his interest in international development in their legacy plan. "With a bequest in our will I can help further my vision of a more just world. I hope others would consider doing the same. For me, this is the most effective way for me to address the gulf between rich and poor."
Posie and David Dauphiné live in North Carolina where they both work part-time and enjoy music, the arts, traveling and outdoor sports.
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