I love the Gifts of Hope catalog. It captures the attention and imagination of our family every year as it lingers on the kitchen counter for a few weeks in November. Each member of the family pages through it and eventually decides what this year’s gifts will be. My son usually ends up choosing an animal, while I am drawn to the gifts for girls. My husband will typically give up and say, “I don’t know what to choose! You tell me what they need!”
I thought it would be interesting this year, as we consider our gifts for 2018, to take a look back and see the top gifts of 2017. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that — after all of our thoughtful consideration — my family is not at all original in our gift-giving!
Take a look at the top three gifts of 2017 — and some top picks for your 2018 giving:
1. Livestock gifts
Livestock gifts are always popular at the holidays and last year was no exception. Two of the top five gifts of the year were livestock — chickens and sheep, specifically. Outside the top five, goats, pigs and farmer training programs were also popular, and it’s easy to see why.
Livestock is a transformational gift for a family. These animals provide nourishment to a family through the milk and eggs they produce. A gift of a pair of animals is the starting point for a small family business producing milk, yogurt and cheese that can be sold for additional income. Animals also aid in farming work and help a family create financial stability through growing and selling their own crops. The possibilities are endless — starting a dairy business, opening a vegetable stand at the market or becoming a supplier of wool and yarn to a local textile company. These gifts provide food today and a brighter outlook for the future.
If you’d like to give a family the chance to build that bright future, check out these Gifts of Hope: a pair of goats, chickens and ducks or a sheep!
2. Gifts for girls
You already know that girls often face bigger obstacles in their communities than boys do. That is why two of the other top five gifts of 2017 were geared toward girls — and, more specifically, improving communities by investing in girls: soccer balls and Protect a Girl.
One of the most impactful programs for girls’ empowerment last year was the Champions for Change project, which provides girls with an opportunity to learn and play soccer, which is often reserved only for boys. By giving soccer balls, strategic investors like you have helped girls build strength and self-confidence. Most importantly, though, you have shown the boys that girls are capable of much more than they ever imagined! Here at Plan we know that we will never achieve gender equality by focusing only on girls. We must bring boys and girls together to find their common ground so the world’s young people can stand on equal footing.
When you choose to protect a girl, you are fighting against the dangers of child trafficking. You know that an educated girl is a trafficker’s worst nightmare. That’s why your gift provides her with the tools she needs to stay safe. When you select this gift, she gets to learn the warning signs of trafficking so she can protect herself from dangerous situations. And, she receives valuable job training and opportunities to make her less vulnerable in the future.
If you want to invest in the future of girls this year, consider these gifts: secondary school scholarships for girls, Protect a Girl or a soccer ball!
3. Give to Plan where it’s needed most
Sometimes it seems like the needs of the world are overwhelming — because there are so many and because they are constantly changing. That’s why your gift to Plan is so valuable. Gifts to Plan are available as needs arise throughout the year, making it possible for us to respond quickly. Whether it’s a sudden need, or something as specific as a child sponsor being unable to continue sponsoring their child, your contributions fill those gaps.
If you would like to make sure your gift goes to the area of greatest need, consider giving to Plan where needed most.
While those three categories were the most popular last year, there are many other options available in this year’s Gifts of Hope catalog. Some of my favorites this year are water containers, training for young farmers and gifts to the Children’s Emergency Medical Fund.
Will you join me in investing in the lives of children? What’s on your gift list this year?
