Sideways News

Is a goat gift the way to go?

There’s plenty of giving at Christmas, and plenty of cash changing hands. So is giving your granny a goat really the way forward? And how can you help those less fortunate than you, if only for a short while?

Giving a gift: for loved ones
In the last few years, the idea of giving a “good” gift has taken off. This concept, now run by most major charities, enables you to buy an item or fund a scheme (anything from a goat, to fresh water, to a primary school in India) which is then pledged to a recipient by the charity. The person you’ve bought it for receives a card saying they now own, for example, a Rwandan goat. Smiles all round.

As a result of such donations, the Good Gifts Catalogue - now in its fifth year of supporting developing countries – has provided 150 villages with fresh water, helped over 4,000 children to regain their sight through medical care and eye-testing, and provided an estimated 150,000 orphans with dowries.

"Though everyone knows that giving is infinitely more enriching than receiving, finding the right outlet for generosity can sometimes be hard," wrote author and philosopher Alain de Botton.

"The Good Gifts Catalogue solves the conundrum brilliantly. I'm particularly taken with the 'Support a Fishwife' gift, which buys boats and equipment for impoverished communities in South India. This isn't something that you'll ever find in an Argos catalogue, but it does have the edge over a food blender."

Such is the popularity of these schemes there has been negative press around the influx of goat-giving. In 2005, over 100,000 goats were donated to third world recipients. NGOs, such as the World Land Trust, raised environmental concerns, claiming goats can cause more harm than good in fragile eco-systems. The debate focuses on the issue of the developed world imposing western systems of husbandry on the developing world. This is a claim that Good Gifts Catalogue director, Dame Hilary Blume contests.

“I have visited our projects, over a period of time, and have been amazed by the benefits,” she told Sideways News. “Children are better fed, the incidence of illness is reduced, families have income, and feel able to save to meet emergencies and, really crucially, have enough to fund schooling.”

Of course, the gifts given need to be suited to the community, land and recipient (otherwise it’s thoughtless aid that gives the giver a nice feeling but does nothing for development). However, the success of these schemes is the tangibility of the gift we give. We know exactly where our money has gone and what it has achieved. It solves the conundrum of the middle man along with that impossible-to-find-a-present-for relative in one fell swoop.

Giving a gift: for strangers
Giving is not all about money. Homeless charity Crisis sets up nine volunteer-staffed temporary centres in London between 23 and 30 December. The charity needs medical practitioners, hairdressers, massage therapists, chefs and general volunteers.

“Volunteers who give their time over Christmas gain both personally and professionally,” Anne Grenyer, Crisis Press Officer, told Sideway News.

“Crisis Christmas centres offer volunteers the opportunity to provide support and companionship to some of the most vulnerable people in society. Volunteers can also use their professional expertise to help our guests and we have a number of specialists from different industries who make Crisis Christmas possible."

Time giving costs nothing and it’s tangible. By giving time we can see the impact: in helping practically, putting skills to use or challenging perspectives.

Go local
Charities such as Crisis might have the name and receive the press, but look out for something similar, on a smaller scale, in your local community. Whether it’s a homeless shelter, Christmas fair with proceeds going to a good cause or packing hampers.

Get behind a cause - whether you give a little or a lot.

SIDEWAYS News for fresh perspectives