Today is Giving Tuesday and so it's the perfect day to feature our Gift Guide for Gifts That Give this holiday season.  My nephew Brian is back in South Sudan this month filming the Obakki Foundation's work there.  This is his third year filming for them, and I have love watching the results of their work when he returns.  From building water wells for clean water and then a year later seeing gardens growing in such dry and arid land along with people settling there, communities are being made as is progress.  I feel so fortunate after viewing such films, and now more than ever want to give back. We all have our own reasons of giving back, whether it's to build water wells in Africa or stop poverty in our own backyard; everyone deserves a fair chance. It's hard to pick just a few but here are a few ideas to think about.

OBAKKI Foundation



This year the Obakki Foundation is selling these beautiful candles (above) with the idea that 500 flickering candles around the world builds a clean water well in Africa. That's a pretty obtainable idea and a nice gift to give someone. $35. Click here for more info.  Or if not a candle, how about a beautiful scarf? The Preserved in Time Collection scarf is truly beautiful and 100% of net proceeds go to drilling wells in South Sudan. $115.

SAVE THE CHILDREN


Farm animals sustain families by keeping them fed and by providing valuable income. As herds begin to grow, families have even more potential to lift themselves out of poverty. Save the Children has an amazing way of making that all happen. Click here for more details.

OXFAM


Oxfam has a great set up on their website where you can choose a gift (be it an animal, a bike, a well, school books, etc.) and you get to send a card to your recipient with the gift you bought in their name. Go to the Oxfam Unwrapped's website at oxfamunwrapped.ca for more info.

BECAUSE I AM A GIRL

Basic things that we take for granted like human rights and protection isn't the case for many girls (and women for that matter) in developing countries, so the Because I Am a Girl Project offers choices like monthly donations which help girls and their communities become sustainable by providing essentials including: health, education, water and livelihood. Click here for more info.

COVENANT HOUSE 

The Covenant House offers up gifts such as a comfy bed, food for a day or an interview suit. And they are pretty much all around North America.  A great gift for giving right in your own back yard.
Click here for the Vancouver office or here for more gift ideas at an international level.

Click here for more ideas on how you can give gifts that give back for the holidays.