Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Give a flock of chickens for the holidays!!

So the other day I got the below from a company that wants me to write about them. The company rocks and I think it is a great idea....BUT...when I got to the part where they gave the gift comparisons, I almost peed myself.

Maybe it was just the frame of mind I was in but I am fairly certain that water buffalo and diamonds or HDTVs should not be used in the same document.

Anyway...I'd like for you all to read on and come to your own conclusions.
---
Hi -

If you are going to include a blog on giving that makes a difference, you could tell readers about alternative gift translations. 2 benefits: it's fast and easy to do, it's green - no driving, shopping, wrapping, mailing, etc.
Here's what it looks like at an organization called Heifer International (www.heifer.org). Heifer helps poor families become self-reliant through gifts of farm animals and training. And then recipients "Pass on the Gift" of their animals' offspring and their new knowledge to another family in need. Here's what can happen when you give a gift through Heifer to honor everyone on your gift list, especially those who appreciate this kind of gift or folks who really don't want or need anymore stuff:

By replacing traditional holiday gifts with alternative gifts, you can help struggling farmers escape from poverty:

· Bottle of wine ($40) = 2 flocks of chickens and training to start an egg business

· Dinner for 2 at a nice steakhouse ($150) = 1 pig and a hive of honeybees and training in small biz

· Golf lessons ($500) = 2 water buffalo and training for a rice farmer to increase his yields

· Diamond earring studs ($1000) = 2 dairy cows for an African AIDS orphanage that will provide up to 8 gallons of milk a day to help improve children’s nutrition

· Burberry cashmere scarf ($200) = 1 llama, a trio of rabbits and a flock of chickens (and training!)

· Laptop computer ($800) = 1 cow and 2 goats and training in use of manure for biogas units

· Nintendo Wii game ($50) = Share of 1 dairy cow and community leadership training for women

· 42” HDTV monitor ($1200) = 10 high quality sheep for a women’s wool project business

· Rolex watch ($5000) = a whole “Ark” full of animals, 2x2, 2 cows, 2 sheep, 2 camels, 2 oxen, 2 water buffalo, 2 pigs, 2 beehives, 2 goats, 2 donkeys, 2 trios of ducks, 2 trios of rabbits, 2 trios of guinea pigs, 2 flocks of geese, 2 flocks of chicks, 2 llamas – and lots of values-based training to build strong communities

· Midsize company holiday party for clients ($30,000) = Fund an entire village’s escape from hunger and build a strong, just and equitable community through Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones training.


This year, celebrate your friends, family and colleagues with a gift in their honor to Heifer. It’s smart giving when giving has never been more important. Why not skip the presents this year, and change the world with lasting solutions for a better future.

6 Comments:

Tracy DeLuca said...

I LOVE the idea and may just check it out .... BUT. Your right, some of the gist comparisons made me giggle. How much beef can an eco chick gift if an eco chick does gift beef?

OneZenMom said...

Heh. Yeah, I can see the humor in it.

But, I actually really like the idea of sustainable giving that really makes a difference.

And, if you think about it, it's kind of a sad statement about the state of the world that one person's luxury item is another person's life-changing or life-saving gift.

Captain Dumbass said...

It is a good idea, but you can have a lot of fun with it.

Swirl Girl said...

I am skeptic at heart - but if this is a real organization that really delivers these things to people...then it is a good thing.

Unknown said...

I have been a gift giving member of HI for a few yrs now...it is a great charity!

Unknown said...

This may be of interest to you as well.
http://www.farmafricapresents.org.uk/buy
FARM-Africa’s charity gifts are perfect if you are looking for a Christmas gift with a difference. There's everything from e-cards to personalised movies and beehives to banana beer! What's more - when you buy a gift or e-card your donation will be helping to provide the poorest farmers in Africa with sustainable solutions to poverty. So whether you buy one of four collectable FARM FRIENDS, send an e-card or personalise a movie, you can be sure that you are sending gifts with a difference this Christmas
FARM-Africa is a specialist, non-governmental organisation that works with marginalised farmers and herders in Africa. We aim to reduce poverty through developing innovative approaches to natural resource management, helping African farmers find their own pathways out of poverty.-
Over the last 20 years there has been a chronic lack of investment in agriculture. Yet over 80% of people living in remote or rural areas of Africa rely on the food they grow and the animals they keep to survive. Faced with harsh conditions and poor access to vital resources, subsistence agriculture can be a constant struggle.
FARM-Africa provides the training and support that poor rural communities need to identify and implement appropriate solutions to many of the key problems they face. Families are directly supported to help work themselves out of poverty through improved ways to manage their crops, livestock, forests and access to water.

 

blogger templates 3 columns | Make Money Online