NAIROBI — The Oxfam International Secretariat has begun a slow move of its headquarters in Oxford, United Kingdom, to Nairobi, Kenya in a complicated process that requires flexibility as the organization navigates issues including delays in work permits, transitioning staff into new roles, and providing various types of employee support, among other challenges.
The decision to move was aimed at adapting the organization to the “rapidly changing development landscape,” Adrie Papma, project lead for Oxfam International Secretariat move from Oxford to Nairobi, told Devex. “We want to strengthen the legitimacy of Oxfam’s voice, its accountability and relevance in the south.” The organization had been located in Oxford for over seven decades, since its founding in 1942.
About the author
Sara Jerving
Sara Jerving is Devex's East Africa Correspondent based in Nairobi. She is a reporter and producer, whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Vice News, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Nation magazine, among others. Sara holds a master's degree in business and economic reporting from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism where she was a Lorana Sullivan fellow.
