| Christmas giving that aids communities |
By Yam Phui Yee And Susanna Khoo
Instead of the usual giving of Christmastime presents, several givers share of their charitable aid this Season to help build community lives.
Amidst the numerous and cheerful green, red and white Christmas decor, a large earthen pot on a pedestal greets guests at the home of Devindran Ramanathan and Angeline Jennifer Percival.
Most guests would initially dismiss it as just another decorative piece until you notice the message placed on it. Instead of giving gifts, the Ramanathans welcome guests to donate to their favourite charities, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), as well as AnimalCare -- an NGO which promotes care giving to street animals.
Percival explains that they place the pot -- which she calls her “charity pot” – there, because they prefer guests to donate money to charities they support, rather than give the couple gifts.
It is a change from the usual giving of presents, but is more meaningful and cuts down unwanted gifts.
Instead of the usual giving of Christmastime presents, several givers share of their charitable aid this Season to help build community lives.
Amidst the numerous and cheerful green, red and white Christmas decor, a large earthen pot on a pedestal greets guests at the home of Devindran Ramanathan and Angeline Jennifer Percival.
Most guests would initially dismiss it as just another decorative piece until you notice the message placed on it. Instead of giving gifts, the Ramanathans welcome guests to donate to their favourite charities, the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), as well as AnimalCare -- an NGO which promotes care giving to street animals.
Percival explains that they place the pot -- which she calls her “charity pot” – there, because they prefer guests to donate money to charities they support, rather than give the couple gifts.
It is a change from the usual giving of presents, but is more meaningful and cuts down unwanted gifts.
Lillian Kim Jesudasan and her family offer comfort, food and hospitality to tertiary students who have no one to celebrate Christmas with. The recipe consultant for television programmes throws a Christmas dinner at their lovely home almost without fail every year, to share their Christmas warmth with others.
She had once spent a lonely Christmas with fast food. Her parents were not Christians and therefore, did not celebrate Christmas.
“Nobody knew I couldn’t go home for Christmas, not even my church members,” Lillian remarked.
Knowing what it feels like, she opens her home to students for Christmas dinner, where she treats them to delicious food and a fun-filled time with her family. For some, it would be the first time they celebrate Christmas in a family setting.
This Christmas, Lillian also invites neighbours over for dinner, to foster stronger ties within her community.
She hopes that parents will use the opportunity to educate their children that Christmas is about giving rather than expecting to receive.
“I remember one year, my daughter planted barley greens. When they sprouted after 10 days, she gave them to her friends in pots, to make drinks. Another year, we made chocolate chip cookies to give out.
“It’s not so much the value of the things (we give), but the heart of giving,” Lillian says.
Lillian is a woman with a big heart, whose giving goes beyond Christmas time.
Apart from running a successful catering business under the name A Family Affair, the mother of four also welcomes single mothers and young people to learn how to cook, bake, sew and serve in catering functions.
Dozens of families have benefited from this income-generating trade. Some of the youths later thanked Lillian for teaching them the people skills, work ethics and professionalism that have come in handy when they go out to work.
Giving, however, is not limited to things that come in wrappers and ribbons.
Financial advisory consultant Eugene Yang does not give presents to his friends. Instead, he buys Christmas gifts for poor communities through humanitarian aid NGO, World Vision Malaysia’s Gifts of Hope (GOH) programme (www.worldvision.com.my/goh/).
Buyers can choose what gifts to buy, like cows and goats for the poor in Thailand, sewing machines for Indonesia, hostels for Orang Asli students in Malaysia, safer baby deliveries and maternal care in Congo, or water and sanitation system in Cambodia, among others. The value of these gifts start from RM30 onwards and givers can also choose to share out the cost for more expensive items.
Under the programme, when payment is made for a gift, someone in a poor community somewhere in the world will be beneficiary of that gift.
“Last year, I bought some chicks and chickens, seedlings, farmer’s tools, bicycles, medicine and hygiene kit. As for the first four items, it’s a chance for me to contribute to the economic uplifting and sustenance of these communities.
“The chickens are for laying eggs, the seedlings (are) for crops and income (generation), and the bicycles (are) for villagers to go to work,” says Yang, who has been contributing through GOH for about six years now.
“According to World Vision’s statistics, 26,500 children die from preventable causes every day, such as unclean water, lack of safe medication and proper vaccination,” Yang adds. The medicine and hygiene kits help people in under-developed areas to stay healthy for work, so they could support their families.
Yang is also volunteering with World Vision Malaysiato promote the GOH programme in shopping centres this Christmas.
“Christmas is about the story of Jesus, even though he was not born on December 25. I feel it’s a time for remembrance and for sharing with others of the love of Jesus for mankind, and to give them hope. Jesus also declared in Luke 4:18 that he came to preach the good news to the poor.
“It (Christmastime) gives me an opportunity to remind other Christians that we should help the poor,” he adds.
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