Christmas!
It is the day when Jesus Christ was born. It is that time of the year when he is remembered for his sacrifices he made for humankind. It is believed that when God saw the sinful human world in grave danger, he came down as the Saviour to rid his believers of misery.
Jesus Christ was born despite knowing about his impending sufferings in the human world, to guide people on a path—away from darkness and towards compassion. Thus, Christmas is a time to be filled with hope, love and kindness.
The special day is marked by holidays, decorations, celebrations, family get-togethers and positive energy all around. The atmosphere becomes stress-relieving, and people develop an emotion of kinship, religious tolerance, harmony and mutual aid among one another.
Christmas is also famous for the joyous exchange of gifts among family and friends. So, to enjoy the occasion in all its glory and honour Jesus Christ’s sacrifices for the world, people of all faiths indulge in selfless donations for the underprivileged.
Donate for the underprivileged
There are multiple ways to donate for the welfare of the underprivileged.
Make online purchases with companies that donate to charity
You can purchase your daily essentials with companies that support sustainability and donate a part of their earnings to a cause. Most of these businesses are also available online.
Volunteer offline
Schedule a visit to NGOs, orphanages or old age homes and teach, play or do some fun activities with the underprivileged people. Irrespective of the method, you will be blessed with moments that you will cherish forever.
Contribute to a fundraiser for a cause
If you wish to donate money to non-profit organisations, fundraising is the easiest way to do it. Choose a trusted crowdfunding site and decide a target amount to donate. Add a description mentioning the motive behind your campaign and launch it. Share its link among your network of friends and relatives so they can contribute to the cause.
Make online donations to an NGO
People around the world suffer due to socioeconomic insufficiency, cultural differences or unexpected natural disasters. Developing counties in Africa and Southeast Asia are the worst hit by such situations.
The Indian Government is constantly working on schemes to support the marginalised. But their implementation at the grassroots level needs the support of the public and NGOs.
NGOs today are tirelessly working to help the underprivileged fight their war against insufficiency. But they need contribution from people. They rely on donations that help them research and launch targeted programmes for those in need of resources.
One such NGO is The Akshaya Patra Foundation which started by feeding underprivileged children in Government and Government-aided schools. Its focus is fighting malnourishment in the nation as food is the most fundamental need among others. Once this problem is conquered, people will inevitably be empowered to deploy their talents and skills to build better lifestyles for themselves.
Today, Akshaya Patra feeds 2 million children every day in tandem with the Government’s PM Poshan Abhiyaan. Additionally, with consistent support from millions of various Governments and donors across the world, the NGO has also been able to launch programmes for pregnant women, nursing mothers, homeless mothers, disaster victims and more.
Some of its new initiatives in the recent months include:
Breakfast Feeding Programme: Studies prove that free breakfast ensures adequate nutrition in children to attend school regularly with enhanced concentration and interest. They show better academic performance and develop good behaviour. Without breakfast, students have slower memory recall and higher chances of making errors.
A study in Karnataka proved that at least 199 of 5,158 children get only one meal a day. Mid-day meal is the first meal for around 2.1 lakh children — not breakfast. Therefore, to protect the future of India from widespread undernourishment, Akshaya Patra started serving breakfast along with lunch in some Government and Government-aided schools.
Millets in mid-day meals of Government school children: Millets are five times more nutritious than rice and wheat. They digest well, strengthen the nervous system, nourish the muscular system, protect against lifestyle diseases and cancer risks, reduce cholesterol, and improve energy levels.
Furthermore, they can be cultivated in less fertile soils with small inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, contributing to the sustainable food-growing efforts in India.
Thus, Akshaya Patra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nutrihub, the Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) in August 2022. It aims to introduce millets in school meals and improve their nutritional content for Government school children across the country.
When you visit Akshaya Patra's website, you can choose a programme you feel drawn to and contribute. Alternatively, you can also start a fundraiser with them.
Feed the hungry this Christmas. Donate for children.
This Christmas, convey gratitude by sharing the blessings of health and wealth with those who cannot access them. Add goodness to your celebrations by donating for their basic needs like food and education.
Be the Santa for the underprivileged children of India who work hard to do well and bring their families out of prolonged insufficiency!
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