Christmas gift of the year 2010

Christmas may seem a long way away but why not consider your Christmas shopping already now? Rather than spending time and money finding the perfect Christmas gifts for your kith and kin why not put your money where the need is. Have you thought about donating some Christmas money to fund-raising organizations committed to water and water-related issues?

We cannot survive without water, it is vital for all living beings. Clean water is a fundamental necessity we take for granted, having fresh drinking water straight from the tap is hardly something we praise every day. In grim contrast, only one flush of a toilet in this country uses more water than most Africans use to carry out one day's washing, cleaning, cooking and drinking. Millions of people, mostly children, die every year from waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid, guinea worm and hepatitis. Unsafe water and sanitation is today alone the largest cause of illness worldwide and without clean water children are deprived of an education, which consequently would generate a better quality of life and hope for a promising future.

In 2005 the United Nations set a Millennium Development Goal with an aim to increase the number of people with access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. For that reason the U.N. General Assembly announced the years between 2005 and 2015 to be the International Decade for Action on "Water for Life" to raise attention on this global concern. Anybody can get involved in the "Water for Life" Decade, it takes place everywhere all over the world and you, as an individual or organization are welcome to arrange any kind of event. To organize an event as a Christmas gift may seem exaggerated and over-ambitious, my point being is merely to promote awareness and suggest alternatives for spending your money. Keep an eye out for various events where a small contribution could be helpful, nobody can do everything but everybody can do something.

Every so often we read about scandals involving highly placed chiefs of fund-raising organizations embezzling money which certainly tarnish the reputation of such organizations. Be sensible and put your money where your heart is, where you believe it would be most beneficial. Endeavour to inspect some organizations, be cautious to avoid scam artists and ensure that your donation benefits the people or organization you want to help.
Therefore the Christmas gift of the year 2010 deserves with good reason to be a donation to the United Nations or any fund-raising organization you believe in. Is not a contribution to a better quality of life for somebody, the best gift of all?