How can we celebrate Christmas meaningfully?

The season of giving and cheer is coming fast approaching. This time, let us step aside from the usual and give to someone who truly deserves it. By making a Christmas donation, you can celebrate this season meaningfully.

One gift can change a life in more ways than you can imagine.

“I love the gifts I get from my sponsor because I’ve learnt a lot from them like drawing, studying, playing and even eating well”, says eleven-year-old Archana. She was sponsored in 2013 and has been receiving birthday gifts from her sponsor ever since.

When you sponsor a child, you can change the child’s life in manifold ways. For Archana, the impact of a simple birthday gift has made her feel loved, special and confident. With her charming smile, she says, “They send me gifts for my birthday and I feel very happy. I feel I’m special because they send me these gifts from so far away”. Every year around her birthday, Archana receives a gift from her sponsor without fail. The gifts have been of various kinds — toffees, chocolates, colouring books, colours (crayons and pencils) and other school equipment.

Her father tells us how she gets excited to receive a letter, card or gift from her sponsor every year”. Archana lives with her father and five siblings in a densely populated slum community in Delhi.

“I also get to go to school and learn new things,” says Archana, explaining why she is grateful for the love and help she receives from her sponsor. Through sponsorship, Archana receives school supplies and several other things that aid her education. Her father is an auto-rickshaw driver and earns an average of about INR 800–1000 per day.

Earlier, Archana would not go out for playing or do any extra-curricular activity because she couldn’t make time for it. However, something changed her understanding. When she began receiving these simple gifts of colouring books, she realised she can do other things besides studying and taking care of the house. That inspired her and she began setting a time in her schedule to play and colour.

With excitement, Archana says, “I never used to draw earlier, but when I got these colouring books and the colours, I began colouring and learnt how to colour and draw. It is my favourite hobby!”

Studying in class six now, she wants to grow up to become a teacher and her favourite subject is Hindi. Her desire is to help other children receive the opportunity to study and play.

A gift does not have to huge and luxurious. A small yet simple gift can have an enormous impact in the life of the most vulnerable. If you are yet to find the best gift for Christmas, try making a Christmas donation.

When you sponsor a child, you change the child’s world. They are able to progress, have a better perspective of life, discover things they are good at, create dreams and find ways to achieve it. The gift of sponsorship is fulfilling, lasting and life changing.

Sponsor a child today.