By Steff WillisWednesday 23 Nov 2022Social JusticeReading Time: 2 minutes
Give a gift that transforms the lives of children in need.
Across the world, 356 million children live in poverty. Studies show that children suffer the greatest impact from poverty but are the least able to change their circumstances.
Giving the gift of food security, clean water, the transformative power of an education, or mum and baby essentials for mothers living in poverty has been made possible as Compassion Australia released their annual ‘Gifts of Compassion’ gift giving guide.
The range of gifts on offer in the Gifts of Compassion gift giving guide offers an ethical and compassionate alternative for Australians to give to family and friends this Christmas season while giving the gift of transformation to those living in poverty.
Gifts of Compassion (Source: Compassion Australia)
Individuals can select from more than two dozen gifts, so there is something for all budgets. For each gift purchased, the supporter will receive a card to give to their loved ones.
Many gifts have been nominated by Compassion as urgent, due to issues such as the global food crisis. A good example is the Food Security Gift of Compassion, which gives supporters the gift of helping to protect the health of vulnerable children through a local-first response that provides food packs, health screenings and other life-saving interventions.
CEO of Compassion Australia, Clare Steele, says, “A food security gift is undoubtedly the most urgent need at present. The compounding effects of the war in Ukraine, COVID-19, inflation, and extreme weather events are driving up food costs and leading to supply shortages around the world.
“The emerging global food crisis is forcing millions of families into extreme poverty, and malnutrition is a threat to children’s development and even their lives. Because of this crisis, the number of people around the world with insufficient food has doubled – 276 million people are now experiencing severe food insecurity.
“Giving the gift of food security is one of the ‘Gifts of Compassion’ that can radically transform a family’s situation.
“These gifts may seem so small and simple, but they can have a big impact on a child and a family’s life. Giving a gift of a chicken helps ensure children have a steady source of protein and produce to sell. Gifting a goat can supply nutritious milk, a sustainable cash flow as the herd grows, manure for the soil and helps develop lifelong skills in caring and raising animals”.
Real-life stories of how ‘Gifts of Compassion’ transform the lives of children and families living in poverty around the world can be found here.
Giving a gift of Compassion is as easy as three simple steps:
- Choose a gift on Compassion Australia‘s website
- Receive a beautiful card, either in print of via email for each gift
- Make an impact with the gift for children and families living in poverty
Consider an ethical gift this Christmas thanks to Compassion Australia.