Giving Tuesday

To mark Giving Tuesday today (03 December), international development charity Send a Cow is calling on shoppers to banish unnecessary plastic waste this Christmas and choose environmentally friendly gifts instead.

A world apart from the well-known shopping days of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday holds the world record for the most money raised online for charity in 24 hours.

2019 Christmas gifts

With the devastating effects of single-use plastic dominating the headlines in 2019, ethical gifts are growing in popularity.

However, one look at this year’s Amazon Christmas list of recommended gifts reveals items that research shows will be in the bin by 01 January 2020.

Not only are the gifts destined for landfill, but the packaging itself is also a cause for concern, with the top 10 gifts generating the equivalent of 50 plastic bags – enough to cover 20 king size beds.

Meanwhile virtual Christmas gifts from Send a Cow can be purchased online with zero non-recylable packaging and will support the lives of families in rural Africa, providing farming tools and training that will enable them to grow their own food and earn incomes, even in the face of climate change.

‘Gifting – or the exchange of objects – should be about solidarity and human connection.

‘When people donate to charity, they have no expectation of receiving anything in return, other than the knowledge that they are helping another human being. In this case, people can use their spending power to help change the world for the better, which is the embodiment of the concept of gifting.’

DAWN WALTER
Social anthropologist

From goats to beehives

Instead of resorting to festive socks or Christmas candles, shoppers can purchase life-changing virtual gifts ranging from goats and tools, to allotments and beehives on the Send a Cow online shop where prices start from just £5.

You simply select your chosen gift, such as a chicken or a goat, and your loved one will receive a Christmas gift pack by email or post telling them all about the item you’ve bought in their name and the positive impact it will have on the environment and families in rural Africa.

With Send a Cow training in farming, gender equality and enterprise, families can learn how to grow nutritious food and build sustainable incomes that break the cycle of poverty, permanently.