Six Ways to Give Back to the Community this Holiday Season

The beginning of the holiday season is recognised as a time for family, generosity and enjoying delicious food. However, it’s also the ideal time to ‘pay it forward’ to communities and organisations that tremendously appreciate the largesse that comes with festive cheer and acts of service and kindness.

 

Paying it forward can be achieved with a small gesture, and great simplicity. So if any of our suggestions resonate, even if it's just one, your minimal effort could literally change a life.

 

And while these suggestions are all long-distance gifts, your contribution will go just as far in helping others.

 

Here are six ways you can make a difference (and not necessarily just at this time of year):

 

Plant a Tree in Honour of a Friend

 

Imagine helping the environment and contributing to a reforestation initiative, while at the same time honouring a friend or family member? As a guest of Rwanda’s Bisate Lodge or Zambia’s Toka Leya, you are invited to visit their extensive tree-nurseries, then go out and plant a tree, and directly contribute to the restoration of the area’s habitat.

 

Support a Charity Close to your Heart

 

The holiday season is naturally ideal for charitable giving, and throwing one’s support behind great causes, from children’s charities to domestic animal rescue centres to schools in need of assistance throughout the year. Some store loyalty cards allow a beneficiary to receive a portion of your shopping spend. It couldn’t be easier to make an ongoing difference!

 

Support a Meaningful Conservation Project

 

With the ongoing threats to wildlife species in Africa, you can create a lasting impression by supporting the Wilderness Trust (WT), whose numerous beneficiaries have identified and address the needs of conservation projects across our areas of operation. 

 

Give the Gift of Education

 

Education is one sure way of providing a child with a lasting gift that will endure way beyond this holiday season. Our non-profit partner, Children in the Wilderness, is a life-skills and conservation education programme – one facet of which provides children with the opportunity to complete their secondary and tertiary education through their scholarship programme. The programme identifies deserving children who don’t have the means to pay for the necessary school fees or uniforms, stationery and other school expenses. Here’s how to help.

 

Support Local and Small Businesses

 

Shopping at a local business and buying locally made gifts is an important way of supporting enterprising traders during the holidays – and long after.

 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover

 

With the purchase and wrapping of gifts at this time of year, the amount of solid waste we produce dramatically increases. Instead of using new wrapping paper, attach a simple ribbon or bow to the gift, or consider using recycled gift-wrap. And naturally try and save as much gift-wrap from the presents you receive as is feasible.

 

It’s never been simpler to give a gift that keeps on giving – and that could meaningfully change lives this holiday season!