It’s a dilemma for Christmas shoppers every year. What gift do you purchase for your boss? Or maybe you drew the name of a co-worker you don’t know that well for the office gift exchange. You want to give a meaningful present … but what?
One of the ways you can share a bit of Christmas joy with your boss or co-worker is by giving a gift that gives back.
Below if a list of donations you can make in their honor as well as physical gifts you can give that any person in the workplace will appreciate.
Each one supports aspiring entrepreneurs around the world so they can be just as successful at their jobs as your team members are at theirs.
Here are a few gift options for your boss or co-worker:
Chickens may not seem like a big deal to you, but believe it or not, they can actually transform a person’s life. A single chicken can produce up to 200 eggs every year, which can either be eaten or sold for a profit.
Farmers can also breed their chickens so they’ll have more hens to lay eggs and chicks they can sell at the local market. Mannasse, one man in Rwanda, was able to grow his chicken farming business enough that he was even able to afford building his family a new house! You can watch the video with his story here.
By donating chickens in a co-worker’s honor, you will help a family find their way out of poverty.
Clothing is a universal need, making tailoring a reliable job in any country. But many seamstresses and tailors living in poor communities can’t afford a sewing machine of their own. By providing a sewing machine in honor of your boss or co-worker, you help someone become independent, allowing her to grow her business and provide food and education for her family.
Your colleagues understand how difficult it would be to accomplish their own jobs without the right equipment, so they’ll definitely realize how transformative this gift will be in the life of someone in need.
For young people growing up in poverty, finishing high school and attending college isn’t possible. They need to work in order to survive. But without an education, they qualify for only low-paying labor jobs, condemning them to a lifetime of poverty.
When you provide a person with vocational training, you give him another choice like a career in welding, tailoring, food production, cosmetology, or another high-demand job.
Since the cost of vocational training is higher than chickens or a sewing machine, maybe instead of giving it as a gift yourself in someone’s name, you could encourage your officemates to all pitch in and make this life-changing present a reality for someone living in poverty. Through your gift, you and your co-workers will be help someone find a new career that’s more profitable and escape poverty for good.
Looking for a tangible gift? Why not give one of these hand-crafted soap sets? Made by refugees in Iraq, these soaps are the perfect gift for any man or woman in your life. Your purchase supports entrepreneurs who are rebuilding their lives after being forced from their homes and helping them provide for their families.
But your impact doesn’t stop there! In addition to supporting refugee parents, your gift also helps provide meals to hungry children. Every $1 you spend provides one meal for a starving child.
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Every day, you and your co-workers and your boss work on a mission. No matter what field your job is in, you are working together to complete a goal. These gifts will allow you to take that one step further — and work together to transform the lives of men, women, and children living in poverty.