A sustainable and solidary Christmas

Apart from Christmas blowouts (company dinner parties, friends and family gatherings) and last-minute presents shopping, Christmas has always been markedly connected with solidarity and good purposes. While this should take place during the whole year, there is no harm in changing our habits around this time and spend a much more sustainable and solidary Christmas.

Not everyone is in good financial standing, so there is a lot being set in motion on these holidays in order to help those who are in a more complicated situation. For this purpose, we can either spend some time or give away some money to one of the so many NGOs that arrange different actions on Christmas.

How can I help?

- By buying presents, toys or Christmas cards provided by these organisations. Another way of being kind to someone while doing our bit to help people that need it is by purchasing this kind of products. There are several organisations in which you can do so:

• Children's Village: You can buy Christmas cards, and their sales will go as help to families and children who are in a vulnerable situation.
• International Cooperation: Performs a toy-collection campaign for needy children, among other actions, through its “A Smile for Christmas” campaign.
• Samaritan´s Purse: This international NGO also offers Christmas cards and solidary activities for these holidays. “Operation Christmas Child” has been deservedly considered one of the greatest Christmas actions for children in the world. It collaborates with Christian NGO Decisión in Spain and it has developed this project since 1990. It has sent out presents to over 80 million children all over the world.
• Medicus Mundi: Another organisation offering a wide variety of solidary Christmas cards.
• Save the children: An international organisation too, it also offers presents such as sweaters with Christmas motifs, among other products, whose profits are used for improving the situation of millions of children around the world. It also does volunteering activities in developing countries.

- By spending your vacations as a volunteer:

• Hola Ghana: This organisation arranges international volunteering; India, Africa or South America are the destinations where you can help through this NGO.
• Hartk Afrika: It organises volunteering work in Morroco.

- Food-collection campaigns: These take place in many parts of the world:

• La gran recogida de alimentos (Great food collection): Here you can engage not only by buying pounds of non-imperishable food but also by helping in its collection for its later distribution.
• Caritas: This organisation performs activities worldwide for helping the neediest ones during the whole year, so you can also contact them on these holidays and take part in their activities.