Empowering SA’s most vulnerable with the gift of giving
This year, underprivileged children will be empowered with the opportunity to also give a gift when receiving their Santa Shoebox.
According to the latest World Giving Index, the most common motivators for donors contributing to causes are wanting to help people less fortunate than themselves (54%), realising they can make a difference (54%) and caring about the cause (50%).
Other popular reasons for donating include believing that everyone needs to help solve social problems (40%) and because it makes donors feel good (38%). Scientific research has found that giving is a route to personal growth and lasting happiness. With this in mind, shouldn’t everyone be able to experience giving and the benefits thereof?
For this reason, the Santa Shoebox Project (SSB), which has reached a total of 1 077 289 children across South Africa and Namibia since launching in 2006, has added an additional element to its initiative in 2022. This year, underprivileged children will be empowered with the opportunity to also give a gift when receiving their Santa Shoebox.
SSB CEO Deb Zelezniak explained that under this year’s theme of Share the Love, donors will have the option to duplicate an item in their box which will enable the beneficiary child to gift that item to a friend or family member.
“This helps to empower the child while teaching them The Joy of Giving – the mantra of our beloved project. The rationale behind this stemmed from the realisation that underprivileged children are usually not seen as powerful.
“All too often, these children are recipients of hand-me-downs and second-hand items that no one else wants. This is exactly the opposite of our ethos. An underprivileged child has the same potential, the same value and the same full, layered life that a child of privilege does. They simply aren’t given the same opportunities. ‘Share the Love’ is about empowering that child.”
Also Read: Be sure you are supporting the genuine Santa Shoebox Project
She added that mental and physical health benefits associated with giving are essential for children, especially those living with the uncertainty of poverty.
“For starters, it increases self-esteem. This is reflected in research from Ohio State University which established that when people give, they feel like they are making a difference to others.”
Santa Shoeboxes contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a facecloth, school supplies, a toy, sweets and an outfit of clothing. This year, in addition to the duplicate item provided by the public, Book Dash, which creates African storybooks that anyone can freely translate and distribute, will be including two books – one for the recipient and the other for them to gift to someone else.
“This amplifies the sharing because a book is meant to be read together, either with a friend or by a parent or teacher.”
Zelezniak stated the Share the Love concept also extends to the participating public.
“Because we are in an economic slump, a single donor may find it tough to fill an entire Shoebox. It might even be tricky for corporates to afford the same number of Shoeboxes they have in previous years – but this presents an opportunity for collaboration.
When teams and families get together to pack boxes, they also get to share the rewarding experience and can walk away feeling good about themselves knowing that their efforts directly benefit the children they choose.”
Pledges open to the public on 1 September, and the team pledges of more than 20 Shoeboxes on 1 August each year. Virtual Santa Shoeboxes are available all year round. Educational and care facilities can apply to become recipients in April.
To share the love or for more information, go to https://santashoebox.org.za.
Also Read: Santa Shoebox Project pledging opens September 1
