5 Christmas Gifts that Change the World

Benardet Zimba, 3-5 year old girl drinks water installed by World Vision next to a milk collection center in Magoye ADP, Zambia.

Sometimes, the materialism that comes with Christmas can get a bit overwhelming. What do you get the person who already has everything and doesn’t need or want more STUFF? How can we support those who don’t even have clean water to drink, as we buy our umpteenth bottle of wine? Here’s a few suggestions of gifts that can change the world – and I don’t mean the iPhone X or other beautiful goodies I included on my recent Her Christmas Gift Guide for 2017.

Last year I wrote a blog post with 5 Christmas Gifts that can change the world. So I thought I’d follow it up this year with 5 more gift suggestions. As a Christian, I feel that is my duty to care for others. Acts 20:35 states: For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’ (ESV). Therefore, I think it is important not to be only focused on giving “things” to your close friends and family but to focus on giving LIFE to those that are struggling. As a World Vision ambassador, here are 5 Gift suggestions that will help you give life this Christmas.

Healthy Snacks

Jigalong playgroup, Pilbara.

Fresh, healthy food can be expensive and difficult to access in remote communities so this gift will provide much needed healthy snacks for Indigenous children right here in Australia.

Warm Blanket

World Vision has distributed tarpaulins, water containers, solar lamps, blankets, jerry cans sleeping mats, mosquito nets, hygiene kids, aqua tabs and buckets to 477 families from the village of Lapu, in Gorkha district.

I considered buying someone a lovely throw blanket as a Christmas gift… and then felt convicted when I saw this gift option. Instead of adding to the pile of blankets in someone’s heated house, why not provide the gift of a blanket that brings comfort and warmth to children and families caught up in conflict or natural disaster.

Help a Woman Start a Business

Beata Bajyanama, 52, at her tailoring business in Nyaruguru, Rwanda.

I am a big fan of the Chinese proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” philosophy, except in this case I feel the need to change man to woman… but you get the idea 😉 Woman can achieve incredible things, especially  when they are taught skills and given the resources to start a business that will not only benefit themselves but also their family and community.

Healthy Start for Babies

Precious, four-months-old, enjoys getting weighed at the health clinic.

For my baby shower when I was pregnant with Finn last year, we fundriased and packed 200 birthing kits to give the gift of life to mother’s and their babies (you can read about that here). But the need doesn’t end there! Support is needed for women long after labour.

After Finn was born, I had unlimited easy access from the hospital, the GP, the community nurses and midwives, lactation specialists, hotlines and Dr. Google. Not everyone has this blessing, and it honestly breaks my heart to think of how lost some parents would feel, particularly when a baby is in desperate need of nutrition. This gift provides breastfeeding education and support, as well as other much need nutrition supplements to help give babies the best and healthiest start possible.

Food For Life

Farmers and staff discuss progress of a large community cassava farm, Juba Area Recovery Project, South Sudan.

If you haven’t guessed from the title of this blog, I take wholesome, sustaining food very seriously. You can give someone the blessing of food FOR LIFE, by providing them not only with seeds and trees, but also farming tools and fish farm, to not only provide a family and community with sustainable fresh food, but also an income opportunity.

Give the gift of Life this Christmas

All of these life-giving gifts are available for purchase from the World Vision Gift Giving Catalogue. The gifts from last years post are also still available in this years catalogue as well as many more options.