”So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun"
Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

I must confess that Christmas is not one my favorite holidays. The only thing I like about it is the long break that lets me enjoy the family life at home. But I don’t like the atmosphere of this holiday, the rush, the shopping pressure, the money spent in all this nonsense. Spend money when it is tight and create more garbage and pollution is not a good idea. We don’t have family in the US, so we don’t feel forced to buy presents for anyone, we just set up a Christmas tree at home and enjoy a good meal.
And yes, there are some presents, not many because I don’t like spending money in things I usually don’t need, but there is always something for the children and usually a couple of things for ourselves.
But this season, and the following ones, we have decided to stop buying anything for us. We really don’t need more than we have, specially the kind of things one tends to buy in this season. A simple card for each other or a home made present from the kids is enough.
Instead we have decided to donate the money we would have spent in presents to those who need it most or to some project that can change some people’s lives.
There are many organizations that need money. You can donate to your local library, food bank, school, etc, and that’s great, but I think that those 10, 20, 50 or 100 (or more…) dollars are worth more abroad that in the US. You can really change a life, help a country, a culture with just a few dollars.
Many people prefer to donate to orphanages or to projects that will feed the hungry. My preference are things related to education, environment, or health. Things that can provide a change in the long term, seed a future. As you may have already guessed, my favorite country is Ethiopia.
There are so many things to be done there, you can spend your money in a great variety of projects that will really make a difference in the years to come.
This year I’ve chosen:
Imagine 1 Day:  A nonprofit organization based in Canada that provides an opportunity for donors to be directly connected to projects that provide primary education for all children in Ethiopia. The good thing about this organization is that they let you choose the projects you want and what do you want to buy for them, from walls for a school to books for the children, you can add to your shopping cart whatever you want or if you prefer just certain amount of money they will use according to their needs. You can also buy gift certificates and your friends or relatives can choose how to spend them.
My choice this year is a project for a new school in the rural town of Gerambero, Ethiopia where Imagine 1 Day is building a new school to replace an old one. This new school will be made of concrete, will have safe drinking water, latrines and a community garden to provide food.
So, this Christmas if you prefer to give a donation in your name or send someone a gift certificate instead of the usual gift, here is a short list of organizations/charities that will make good use of that money:

Imagine 1 Day
Ethiopia Reads
Ethiopian Orphan Relief
Mercy Corps
AHope for Children
The Fistula Foundation

Happy Holidays!


AliciA