When I was about 10 years old my Mum told my two siblings and I that we were getting one small gift at Christmas. I knew that when my mother said we were only going to be given one present, we would only be receiving one gift. What made this announcement even more biting for a 10 year old excited about Christmas and receiving gifts was that this Christmas all of my mother’s siblings and children were coming together for a very rare gathering. The thought of receiving one small gift while everyone else received a mountain of presents didn’t sit very well with me! Christmas day came and sure enough we received our small gifts. Later, my Mum did bring in sacks of other gifts she had stowed away for us that year much to our relief and delight. This experience has stayed with me for the many years since and was certainly one of the biggest ‘aha’ moments I had as a child. For a very brief time I was given a glimpse into how it felt to receive very little when surrounded by those who received much more than they wanted or needed.
Fast forward twenty or so years. I now had two boys of my own aged 5 and 10. On Christmas day I presented them both with their Christmas present. The boys were given cards to say they had donated a water well and a goat to people in need living in a third world country. I was a little nervous about how my boys would process that their Christmas presents were actually gifts to children in another country. I wasn’t prepared for how excited they were once they understood the true value of the gifts they had provided to children living without in a world far away from theirs. It’s hard to describe in words how you feel when you realise that your children understand the true meaning of giving and selflessness. Depending on my boys reaction to those gifts, I had stashed away one more gift for both boys to share. If they had been upset about their World Vision Smiles gifts I would never have passed on this major gift to them. My then 5 year old will be celebrating this Christmas as an 11 year old and every so often he will bring up that gift. I know that like my Christmas experience as a child, this gift will remain one of the most memorable during his lifetime.
That one simple exercise made me realise just how proud I am of my boys – and since that Christmas there has been numerous occasions where their selflessness and generosity has shone. I do believe that occasion helped them to understand and appreciate that we can all do our part to help others in need, that giving feels good and connects us with others.
This year let’s have a think about how we can connect with, support and delight others near and far. How can we make a difference in our own small way? There are many with very little all around us and one small act of generosity could mean so much more to someone than we can imagine. Let’s also think about where we are purchasing our gifts for loved ones. Can one well thought out purchase not only provide a gift to another person, could that purchase also benefit more than just who we are giving it to? There are many businesses with a social enterprise element that not only produce unique and meaningful products, they also utilise a portion of the proceeds to benefit others on this planet in desperate need.
The following are just three different gift ideas that keep on giving. An added bonus is that all of these gifts can be delivered to your door/email and eliminates the need to go into crowded malls!
Support women and girls in developing communities to access vocational education and economic opportunities by wearing one of The Global Women’s Project Signature Tees and celebrate the many roles women play in our lives.
These Tees are ethically sourced, beautifully fitted and all proceeds go towards The Global Women’s Project. Sizes range from XS – XL and are available in black, grey and marine blue. Click here for more information.
With every pair of Moeloco flip flops you purchase a pair of closed in canvas shoes is given to a child in poverty.
The Moeloco flip flops are designed and created in Australia. As there are no manufacturers in the country making this type of footwear, Moeloco are manufacturing in China. Moelocos are made from high strength rubber in a factory located in Dongguan City, Shenzen and produced safely with no child labour being used. Find out more here
Our ebook is available now. Connect. Engage. Grow. features over 40 New Zealand and Australian women in business rocking their online profiles and gives tips, insights and techniques for building an active and engaging online presence! 20% of the purchase price from each ebook will benefit The Global Women’s Project supporting #NepaliNewborns. Learn more here
There are so many other wonderful and thoughtful ways to give back this Christmas – purchasing from a local/small business rather than a large department store, making a gift from the heart, donating to charities that provide food and gifts to those who have very little in your community, volunteering, spending time with someone who is lonely etc. This year I challenge myself and those reading this blog post to think about how to make even more of a difference when gift giving this Christmas. It may take more time and energy to do so, however the impact we have could be well worth the extra effort.
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