A guide to holiday giving

The holiday season is a time for many things — eating copious amounts of food, reuniting with family and friends and, of course, receiving and giving gifts.

For most of us, myself included, the entire gift giving and receiving process just adds more stress to the already busy holiday season.

We are left constantly wondering: Is my gift good enough, is it too good, does the person really want this?

The solution to this anguish about gift giving is to stop giving pointless gifts as most of us don’t need anything this Christmas. We have what we need, and another outfit or DVD really isn’t going to change our lives.

But the money we are spending could have a huge effect on the lives of those trying to survive below the poverty line on less than a dollar a day.

These people struggle to have access to goods to fulfill their basic needs of food, water, shelter and health.

We could take note from people such as Bill Gates and his foundation by helping projects that improve education, health care and access to basic needs in developing nations around the globe.

Gates’s giving has provided a lot of opportunities for individuals in developing nations.

It was announced Saturday that the new meningitis vaccine his foundation has been working on is finally ready for release to the public. This vaccine will help save the lives of an estimated 150,000 people by 2015.

Now that this new vaccine has been approved, it will begin being given to Africans in 25 different countries that are at high risk of contracting meningitis.

Each dose costs less than 50 cents and will provide immunity to those who are most needy.

Millions of dollars are still needed to ensure that this occurs, which is why organizations such as The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization are desperately trying to raise funds and make a world without meningitis possible.

This is the first time in history that a vaccine was developed for the developing world. Gates sees this as revolutionary because it shows that vaccines can be developed without the demands of the rich and first being marketed at a very high price.

This sets a precedent for other vaccines and future research about disease.

But you don’t have to have money like Bill Gates to make a difference in the lives of others around the world.

Organizations such as GlobalGiving and Kiva provide alternative gift giving options to those who have everything and want to give to someone in need.

These organizations feature projects from all across the globe in fields ranging from education to sports.

One such project is HeroRATS, which for only $36 a year, you can feed a Hero rat in Tanzania.

These rats can detect landmines and TB by using their keen sense of smell. Their word and the donations of people around the world to fund the project have saved the lives of many Tanzanians.

Other GlobalGiving projects include WomensTrust, a Ghanaian women empowerment organization that helps females living in the rural area of Pokuase by providing them much needed education, health care and loans.  

Oxfam America also released their holiday collection of charitable gifts, including everything from soap to an Alpaca.

These gifts range in size and price, but all of them will make huge changes in the lives of those who receive them.

Giving to those in need is a great thing for both the giver and the receiver, yet when giving it is important to be wary of organizations that profit off of the misfortune of others.

That is where organizations such as www.givewell.org and www.charitywatch.org come in.

These websites act as watchdog services that help global donors make decisions about whom to give money to by providing them with information about where their donations go.

Giving during the holidays is great, especially to those in need. This holiday season, try not to think about all the unnecessary things you want and focus on the needs of others.

Give from your heart, but remember that whether it’s a final paper or a charitable donation, it’s always best to do your research.


E-mail: tmkennel@indiana.edu