2021 Gift BOX APPEAL

Just before children return to school in September, our shops are filled with parents buying school supplies for their kids. From new backpacks to pencils to notebooks to even digital tablets. According to recent research, the average parent can spend between £13-20 per child just on stationery items, not including textbooks, which are often provided free for UK.

But what if you were a parent in rural sub-Saharan Chad? Think about the challenges that you would face when your kids return to school in October. Chad is one of the poorest and hottest countries in the world with 15.5 million people living in poverty. Yet, the responsibilities for the purchase of teaching materials is down each parent.

Often there are 30 children who are sharing one science textbook and children may have just one single notebook for all subjects for an entire academic year.

Lack of adequate teaching materials and accompanying stationery contribute to the dropout rate of 16%. Children that do not complete their basic education often end up as the poorest of the poor.

How can you help?

Last year we raised £10,000 to help children in the UK that were affected by the pandemic. This year our Virtual Gift Box campaign will benefit children in rural Chad. We would like to provide them with a basic school kit, a hygiene pack and a toy. What a difference this will make. We ask you to donate £10 per child on our JustGiving website: donate as much as you can e.g. a £50 donation will benefit 5 children.

With our local partner, ADRA Chad, the gifts are handpicked for every group of children making sure the gifts they receive will fit their specific needs. Whether pens, crayons, soap, a toothbrush and of course a toy, please know that you have given them a reason to smile!

This year we have kept it simple: make a donation on our JustGiving page or, alternatively, send us a check.

How can we not respond to help children that have so little to smile about