5 Christmas Gifts that can Change the World

The best part about Christmas is giving. This year you can make the best parts of Christmas even better, with gifts that can make people’s lives a little bit brighter. Gifts that can change the world. Here’s my 5 favourite gifts that GIVE!

Toys – $20

Toys are big focus for anyone with kids at Christmas time – but the story behind this gift is a little different to queueing up for hours trying to get your hands on the last Hatchimal. Toys can mean so much to a child who has lost everything due to natural disaster or conflict, giving them the chance to play and be a child again. With the crisis in Aleppo unfolding on our newsfeeds and television screens right now, you can help restore a touch of humanity when all seems lost. Give a gift that brings comfort, peace and hope to children and families this holiday season.

Early learning for Indigenous children $30

It might be school holidays but there’s never a bad time to be thinking about the importance of education. Your gift of early learning for Indigenous children can help kids get the best start in life. Here in Australia World Vision partners with Indigenous Australian communities to support playgroups that give families a vital source of early childhood support and education. The programs focus on helping children get school-ready, and education both in English and local language. World Vision staff member Yvonne says they help give Indigenous Australian kids “the best opportunity that we could possibly give them” for the future.

Vegetable garden starter pack – $45

You’ve probably heard plenty about buying goats or chickens for charity at Christmas time – but while they are cute and fluffy, they’re not the only choice! A vegetable garden starter pack means parents can grow nutritious veggies to feed their children, as well as to sell at local markets. Whether you’ve got an in-law who is a keen gardener or a health enthusiast friend, this is a gift that’s spreading good food around the world – and it can help equip families with the means to lift themselves from poverty.

Clean drinking water – $60

Our Australian summer Christmas often revolves in many ways around water. Beach holidays, backyard water fights, seafood – maybe that last one is a stretch. This gift is your chance to share the love of clean, life-giving water with people around the world. By sinking new wells, repairing water pumps, building toilets and providing hygiene education, giving clean drinking water means a community can protect their children from deadly waterborne disease and look forward to a healthier future.

Train a healthcare worker – $85

‘Be more healthy in 2017’ is something you’ll probably hear a lot of around New Year’s Eve, but you don’t have to wait until then to make the world a healthier place. Help make sure that mothers and children can receive life-saving healthcare, even when they live miles away from a hospital or doctor. Your gift will help train a Community Health Worker to provide effective, on-the-spot treatment and health advice to families in need. You’ll be empowering local people with the knowledge and skills to make a real difference in their own communities.

With World Vision Gifts, you’re not only giving your family and friends something special; you’re also giving new opportunities to people who really need them. Long after Christmas, your gifts will mean a lot to both the people you give them to and the communities they benefit. Take a look at World Vision’s Gift Catalogue for more gifts that really mean something.