Giving a gift that keeps on giving is not as difficult as you think, and can go further than you ever imagined!
Alexandra, South Africa (14 December 2023) — While many South Africans are anxiously awaiting the December holidays to come into full swing, there are unfathomable amounts of people and children who can’t say the same.
Children are especially vulnerable at this time of the year as safe havens like schools close and worries about food become even more painstaking than usual. This is something many of us might know, but perhaps haven’t really digested. It’s also something that the non-profit organisation Rays of Hope understands better than most.
“This is the reality for many children in Alexandra Township who rely on the meals and snacks they receive at school and learning centres for their daily sustenance, since many come from homes where parents struggle to put food on the table,” says Muziwethu Zwane, Rays of Hope CEO.
“The problem is exacerbated during the December holidays when schools close. So not only are they deprived of a festive and special Christmas…but they are also deprived of the basic human necessity of a nourishing meal every day.”
But, true to its name, Rays of Hope shares that there are ways to give a gift that keeps on giving; not just to the children of Alex, but for the people of our country’s future.
The Gift of Good Lessons This December
“Parents have an important role to play in both teaching children about the value of giving back, especially as we approach a time of year that is focused on consumerism. While one child may have a Christmas wish list filled with toys and other items for parents to purchase for them, others can only dream of what it’s like to receive a gift on Christmas day,” Muziwethu shares.
Teaching children about giving back can start with something as simple as a conversation, he adds, with parents reminding children that not all young people are in their shoes. It’s both a lesson of gratitude and one of empathy.
When mindsets of gratitude and gentle doses of reality are nudged, hearts filled with understanding become possible. And without understanding, there is hardly room for any growth.
Once the seed of good lessons is planted, parents can also encourage their kids to help make the holidays special for underprivileged children by making giving back a key theme of the season. This could look like spending time together making meals and distributing them to the homeless, those in shelters and orphanages. Or searching through old clothes, blankets and toys to find ones suitable for donation; because the joy of sharing these gifts with others is a lesson worth so many riches.
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The Gift That Keeps on Giving
“This year has been tough for all South Africans, and I am sure most of us have felt the pinch caused by an ailing economy,” Muziwethu adds, before mentioning that people in places like Alexandra are far from exempt from this.
The Sponsor a Child programme is Rays of Hope’s way of bridging the gap between those who have enough to give and those who have nothing to give to their own families. The programme is all about taking care of a child in Alex’s basic needs—nutritional, educational, physical, emotional and psycho-social.
“Whether you choose to sponsor a child on behalf of someone as a special and heart-warming gift that keeps on giving or decide as a family to forgo one or two items this holiday in the name of making this a more special time for someone else, there are plenty of ways that families can help,” he encourages.
You can find out more about Rays of Hope, here.
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