Through the Fair for All programme, partners from seven countries gather in Indonesia to boost skills in local resource mobilisation and sustainable community leadership.
In November 2025, Oxfam Novib and Change the Game Academy (CtGA) partnered to deliver a Local Fundraising Training for partners of the Fair for All (F4A) programme in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The week-long workshop, hosted by Yayasan SATUNAMA, brought together 17 participants from grassroots and civil society organisations across Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The collaboration combines CtGA’s global expertise in local fundraising with Oxfam’s commitment to economic justice and inclusive development, enabling a training designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to mobilise local resources, diversify their funding, and ensure the sustainability of their initiatives. “We chose to partner with Change the Game Academy because of their solid experience in offering practical, proven tools that help organizations take charge of their own sustainability. Local fundraising for F4A partners is part of Oxfam’s commitment to shifting power and aligns with the FAIR for ALL consortium’s goal of strengthening local civil society. We expect this collaboration to support FAIR for ALL partners in diversifying their funding, deepening their engagement with communities, and continuing their work; building on FAIR for ALL achievements even after the program ends. In one sentence: this partnership with CtGA brings together the strengths of both organizations to put more power in local hands.”, says Angelica Aparicio Partnerships & Program Development Unit, Oxfam Novib
The Fair for All programme, a Power of Voices partnership funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, supports movements and civil society organisations to promote inclusive, equitable, and sustainable trade and value chains. Implemented by a consortium including Oxfam Novib, SOMO, Third World Network-Africa (TWN-Africa), and the Huairou Commission, the programme works with more than 130 partners in 14 countries across the Global South.
"It is an "international learning village" within that training room, I can tell. For me and for SATUNAMA, this is not just about delivering training; it is also about receiving valuable life lessons. Behind all the different languages, customs, the packed schedule, and the checklist of preparations, we are all humans who want to connect, learn, and grow together," said Ariwan Perdana from Yayasan SATUNAMA, Program Coordinator of Change the Game Academy in Indonesia.
The partnership between Oxfam and CtGA reflects a shared belief that lasting change starts at the local level. “This is not just a project based partnership, it is a relationship rooted in the shared belief that with the right skills, communities can be active architects of their own progress. Oxfam, through the Fair for All program, joins the growing list of INGOs globally who are using the CtGA methodology to build the capacities of local organisations to reimagine development and shift minds to believe that, indeed, when communities take centre stage, they design solutions and shape their own narratives “, said Sylvia Njambi, Global Partnership Advisor at Change the Game Academy.
During the training, lead trainer Dr. Manju Menon emphasised that it is time for organisations to integrate Local Fundraising into their strategic plans, due the rapidly changing landscape of international funding. She encouraged participants to think beyond traditional approaches, reminding them that fundraising is highly contextual and that every country has its own advantages, limitations, and opportunities. “We are focusing on exploring the potential of individual donors, and other types of donors who exist in each country. We are encouraging participants to look at the opportunities before them and make use of them,” Manju explained.
For participants, Local Fundraising offered valuable insights as a tool to strengthen their organisations’ sustainability. Michelle Mwambela, who flew far away from Kenya to join this training, shared how the experience shifted her perspective. “I have really enjoyed learning that even individuals in my country and community can fund some of our efforts,” she said.
Khun Pring from Cambodia expressed a similar takeaway. “I believe this training provides concrete additional learning, especially in understanding how we can interact and engage with donors from a different angle; an alternative approach where we see the donor as an individual and a member of the community.”.
Beyond the trainers’ inputs, the peer-learning sessions were also highly valued. As Hoa Vu Hanh noted, “It is not common practice in Vietnam to fundraise from individual donors, but I gained valuable lessons on how to better engage with corporate or company donors.”
Siti Masriyah, from Indonesia was one of those who also reflected on the practical relevance of the programme. “This LFR training is the most practical training I have attended. The trainers not only provided theories but also encouraged all participants to share ideas and turn them into a concrete Local Fundraising plan,” she said.
As Fair for All concludes its five-year journey in 2025, the partnership between CtGA and Oxfam Novib leaves a lasting legacy of local empowerment and capacity building; a testament to the power of collaboration in creating fairer and more resilient communities.
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