Whether you’re one half of a blossoming romance, or a steadfast single with a best friend to match, the pressure is on to get that perfect Valentine’s Day gift. It’s pretty serious business right?
For those Valentines looking for a more meaningful gift, look no further than our range of Gifts for Good, a great Valentine’s Day charity gift for everyone.
You can even personalise your gift and make it even more memorable for the children in need, as each Gift for Good purchase also comes with the option to send a card, download a pdf you can print at home or even send an ecard with your own personalised message.
1. Donate a furry friend as a Valentine’s Day gift
Animals can make loving companions, but for families living in poverty they can offer so much more. They can help provide a family with nutritious food and provide a source of income. Consider donating one of these furry friends as your charity gift this Valentine’s Day:
Chickens: A dozen chickens provide nutritious eggs for children to eat and additional eggs can be sold at local markets.
Goats: Goat milk can help children grow up strong, and goat manure can be used as a fertiliser for crops and gardens.
Sheep: Wool can be used to weave textiles for the family, which in turn can be sold at markets. Sheep milk can be turned into cheese and yoghurt, which can help children grow up strong.
2. Give a child a bright future with an educational gift
Children around the world struggle to remain in school, because their parents can’t afford tuition or they’re forced to drop out to work and support the family.
You and your Valentine can give a child a bright future with these educational gifts:
School supplies: Pens, pencils and notebooks are unaffordable for many parents in developing countries. Your generous gift will provide a child what they need for an entire school year.
Tablets and computers: Giving tablets and computers as your Valentine’s Day gift will help young students learn better remotely, stay more engaged at school and give them a greater chance of achieving their dreams.
3. Charity gifts that keep a child safe and sound
The cold reality for many children overseas is life without comfort, and the threat of preventable diseases. Make your Valentine’s Day gift count with a donation that will keep children safe:
Blankets: Some children sleep on a concrete slab or a hard dirt floor, but a blanket and pillow could keep a child warm and comfortable on a cold winter’s night.
Mosquito nets: Mosquito bites are one of the most common ways malaria is transmitted in developing countries. A simple net can protect a child from mosquitos while they sleep.
4. Nutritious food for thought as your charity gift
have a reliable source of food and clean water. You and your loved one can change lives this Valentine’s Day by donating one of these charity gifts to children and families in need:
Food for two families for one month: Help families in need by donating a food pack as a meaningful Valentine’s Day gift. Your gift will provide nutritious beans, lentils, cooking oil and other supplies to make ends meet.
Three fruit trees and vegetable seeds: As a source of food, additional income and shade, these trees can help give families a fresh start. Seeds will grow into vegetable gardens that provide nutritious food for young children.
One handwashing station: Handwashing can slow the spread of infectious diseases. But children in many communities lack access to clean water or soap for washing. A handwashing station could help keep children safe and encourage lifelong, lifesaving habits.
Give a meaningful Valentine’s Day gift to your loved one
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all bling and glamour. Give a meaningful Valentine’s Day gift to your loved one, and show them how it only takes one person to change a life any day of the year.
SreyTok, 21, from Kratie province in rural Cambodia, finished high school two years ago. She had planned to continue her studies at university but couldn’t afford the costs involved. Her parents, who are farmers and garbage collectors, earn very little, which makes it difficult for them to afford the expenses of university education.
For many young people living in rural Cambodia, pursuing higher education is a challenge. Universities are found only in a few large cities, often far from their hometowns, and require expensive housing, school materials, and other costs associated with living in a city. As a result, upward mobility is difficult for young people in these remote communities. They often struggle to find employment outside of manual labour, even after completing their high school education. SreyTok says her limited options meant she remained at home, assisting her parents with their farming work.
To support the future livelihoods of young people and encourage them to bring positive change in their communities, ChildFund, in partnership with the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT), has launched an ‘Essential Life Skills’ training program in the region. The program aims to equip the participants with skills and knowledge that will help them become more confident in their abilities and lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
SreyTok, 21, says she has enjoyed learning new skills and working with local leaders to make a difference in her community.
“Two youth representatives from each village, roughly 20 per commune, were chosen to take part in the program,” says Mr. Ravy, a project manager at CRDT, explaining that the program saw young people take part in training sessions held every weekend over the course of a year. Topics focused on self-awareness, leadership, safely navigating social media, gender equality, reproductive health, and making wise life decisions.
Out of the 20 youth representatives taking part in the program, five were chosen to be the group’s leaders. For one day a month, the leaders would travel to different villages to impart lessons learned and skills gained through their training to other young people. SreyTok was chosen to serve as the team’s vice president. She says she is proud to share her newfound knowledge and skills with young people in the community, and now has a concrete plan to continue her studies in the city. “I know myself better and am more confident in my abilities and understand how to set and accomplish goals in life.”
As part of their training, young people also learnt the importance of teamwork and working with local authorities to create impactful and long-lasting change in their communities. This included a very informative session on community development plans, which covered budget planning and proposal, determining the underlying cause of community problems, setting priorities for those problems, and formulating suggested solutions.
SreyTok’s team has already begun to put their skills to good use, collaborating with the commune council to develop multiple projects. She says topics are wide-ranging but specific to the needs and future wellbeing of their communities, “Projects focus on child marriage, safe migration, social media, school infrastructure for children with disabilities, and more.”
Local youths attend peer-led training sessions, supported by ChildFund and its partners, to learn about a range of life-changing topics.
Ms. Phalla, a member of the commune council in charge of children and women’s issues, is quick to sing the youth representatives’ praises. “They have been very supportive. I couldn’t help the community as quickly on my own,” she says.
Attending the training with SreyTok’s team was an eye-opening and informative experience for Ya, 23, who was married at 18 and has two daughters. Prior to the training, Ya’s knowledge was limited, especially when it came to her own body and wellbeing. “I never knew details about reproductive health” she says, adding that she now feels equipped to take better care of herself and her children. “I plan on passing on this information and other important lessons to my girls to give them the best chance in life.”
