This year it is estimated that Australians will spend $24 billion just on Christmas. That's a lot of money spent on food, drink, gifts and decorations. If you are looking for a way to lose the consumerism that Christmas has become famous for, and get back to a season of simple giving and simple pleasures, make a loan.
If you have never heard of Kiva.org, you need to check it out. The concept is extraordinary; you loan a small amount of money to a family in a third world country to help them become self-sufficient. The desired micro-loans are varied, from a family in Mali who need money to buy seeds and fertilizer to a widow in Peru who needs to buy more products to sell for a profit at the local market. It can be a meaningful gift to know that a loan of as little as $25 can be life-changing for someone else. And, the best part? When they pay the money back, you can loan it again.
2 days ago
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I found out about KIVA myself a couple of months ago - fantastic way to direct your giving where it encourages people to develop their own skills. Plus you know your money is going to where you think it is going, and not being used to manufacture glossy brochures or pay staff on the phone!
ReplyDeleteSomething my Badminton Club did this year, which is a bit late for Christmas 2011, now, was instead of having Kris Kringle where we all bought little
gifts for each other(which we didn't need or want!) was to "adopt a family" for Christmas.
Each year, where I live on the Sunshine Coast, the newspapers list families who have registered with the Salvation Army, or other charitable organizations, and people/clubs make contact and "adopt" a family. This involves preparing a hamper with the needs of that family in mind - eg, mother with sons 4 and 8, or father with 12 yo daughter etc. We filled 3 hampers to bring Christmas cheer to needy families.
Thank you for reminding me!
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