This Holiday Season Give Up Your Gifts for Africa

This summer, Gabriella traded in her birthday gifts for clean water in Africa and raised $950 to help provide Tanzanian school children with safe water.

 Now, the Calgary girl is challenging Canadians to give up their gifts for the holidays and to instead accept donations to help provide African communities with some of life’s most basic needs: clean water, adequate food, primary health care and a safe and healthy environment.

“We can all help others who have less than us,” says Gabriella. “I gave up my birthday gifts to help provide clean water for children in Africa and I hope that Canadians will consider doing the same for the holidays.”

 Canadians can give up their gifts for the holidays by signing up on giveupyourgifts.ca. They can choose to support critical projects in rural Africa to provide clean water, adequate food, primary health care, etc., by setting up a fundraising goal and then asking friends and family members for donations instead of gifts.

Instead of having office gift exchanges, companies and organizations can opt to Give Up Their Gifts for Africa.  So far, The Haliburton Family Medical Clinic (HFMC Staff) has taken the lead with 30 staff setting up a team to raise $700 for projects in Africa instead of exchanging gifts for the holidays.

Proceeds raised from the Give Up Your Gifts for Africa campaign go to support Canadian Physicians for Aid & Relief’s (CPAR’s) health and development projects in rural Africa.

CPAR works in partnership with vulnerable communities and diverse organizations to overcome poverty and build healthy communities in Africa.