There is a lot of talk about what people want for Christmas in our house and what other people want and what they think other people want, so a few years ago we started a new tradition and started the conversation around the gift giving. 

We decided a good way of doing this would be to look at different ways they can help others less fortunate than themselves. We huddle around my laptop and we read stories of kids their age in places all around the world. We watch videos and look at photos and imagine what their day to day life would be like. Do they go to school? Do they have fresh water? Do they have access to medicine? Do they have both of their parents? 

It is pretty eye opening for kids to see and understand how different the life of another child can be. The next step is to understand how they can help. Even as an adult the problems of the world can seem overwhelming. How can anything we do help? How can just a few dollars really make any sort of impact? 

We always choose to make a donation in the names of my kid’s teachers for their Christmas presents. We’ve given goats, school supplies, baby blankets and vaccinations. This year we’ve chosen to help those that help women and babies in communities that need them the most. 

Cuso International helps people defy the odds. Despite the abundance in the world, pregnant women are still at risk of delivering their babies in unsafe conditions. Parents are still struggling to feed and educate their children and youth are still seeking training and support to find stable jobs. 

Our holiday gift will help:

• strengthen the quality of services in clinics so that pregnant women can deliver their babies safely
• people and the communities in which they live become more self-sufficient so that parents can better feed and educate their children
• provide training for youth so they can find stable employment

Through a gift, you can help people around the world defy the odds! 

Make your donation before December 31st, 2016 and every dollar you give has the power of $10 – through the work of our volunteers, our partners and funders, that dollar is leveraged 10 times. For example, a gift of $20 becomes $200. 

You can do so much good as a supporter of Cuso International. Whether you give a gift of $20 or $200, you change lives in very real ways by helping the most vulnerable people. That’s why we encourage you to donate to Cuso International this Christmas as well. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, however the thoughts and opinions are all my own. So are the funds donated by our family.