IN GIVING TREE
Live like an orphan. Give to an orphan. Together for a good cause.
Change a life forever.
Help orphans and vulnerable children, including community with “in giving tree”
When we live with so many modern conveniences, it can be hard to even begin to understand the deprivation many deal with in other parts of the world. “In Giving Tree of Nothing” is a way your family to experience and understand poverty at a deeper level.
In giving tree is a giving project started in early December by OCIA. It started has gathering in the community and share,give to families that are left in dispatch of poverty.
Consider the following:
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There are more than 150,000,000 orphans in the world today and that number is climbing.
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In the last 24 hours, 30,000 children around the world under the age of five died from poverty-related causes.
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Three billion people live on less than $2 a day and have no access to sanitation.
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More than 1.3 billion people live on less than $1 a day and have no access to clean water.
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Two billion people have no access to electricity.
Many people would like to help,but may be financially constrained or simply don’t know where to start. By participating “In giving tree,” anyone can afford to help at least a little, with no extra strain on the budget.In the process, many families who have done it find that they are able to teach their children some valuable life lessons as well as give everyone in their family a greater appreciation of how much we have, and perhaps how much we take for granted.
The concept behind the in giving tree experience is very simple. Forego as many of the things we take for granted as you and your family can, and for at least a week try to live as close as possible to the way most of the world does. Then take the money saved and contribute it to OCIA or some other worthy cause..
To be most successful, the experience has to be tailored to your own family situation, of course. It also must be explained to children beforehand so they become willing and active participants. Many parents also find it helpful to decide as a family where the money saved will be contributed.
What does“in giving tree”entail?”
The way “in giving tree” works is simple. Participants choose to sacrifice certain things for at least a week. They may choose to do without modern conveniences as much as possible. They may give up desserts, or entertainment, or forgo eating at restaurants.Gathering together, In other words, for at least a week, participants try to live as close as possible to the way many others in the world do. Then, at the end of the week, they calculate how much money they have saved and contribute that amount to a Families for to help orphans and vulnerable children, including homeless.
As simple as it is, participants have found their “In giving tree” experiences to be extremely rewarding and even life-changing. Parents have reported that doing “in giving tree” as a family taught their children valuable life lessons and helped their family gain a greater appreciation for how much they have, and how much they take for granted.
All you need to get started is a bit of planning and a willingness to make sacrifices in order to support a good cause. Each participating “team”—whether that is an individual, community group or a family—can decide what they want to sacrifice and for how long.
For example, you may decide to:
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Forego running water for a week (to the extent possible).
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Wash clothes and dishes by hand.Of course, this experience is not just about saving money to contribute to a worthy cause. It is primarily about trying to experience to some small degree how most of the world lives.
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Use water (except for sanitation) only from containers that filled at the home of a neighbor or family members or some other location within walking distance and have the family carry the water home by hand.
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Refrain from renting movies.
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Live on basic food staples, such as plain rice or beans, oatmeal, etc., for a couple of days or the entire week.
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Walk or ride a bike instead of driving a car.
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Try eating just one meal a day for several days or the entire week.
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Eat only food that does not have to be refrigerated.
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Use only candles or lanterns after dark.
Each family can come up with more ideas on their own, but the important thing is to put the experience into context for children by discussing ahead of time that what they will be experiencing is how much of the world lives. For example, it will help them participate in the right spirit and get the most benefit from the experience if they know that in many developing countries families eat only one meal a day. Even those who are considered middle class often have only one meal a day.
Many homes don't have electricity, and all food is cooked over a fire or wood stove. Even then, it is often too costly to burn fuel for cooking more than once a day or even more often than every couple of days. Sometimes a large pot of food is made one day a week and the family eats out of it until it is gone.We would love to hear about your family's experiences with trying In giving tree (or 30!) Days of Nothing. Drop us an e-mail at info@ngivingtree.org
And of course, we hope you will consider contributing at least part of what you save to OCIA so we can help even more orphans and vulnerable children around Uganda.