When I’m writing this, I still can’t believe that I’m able to do it. I — a regular woman who’s a normal employee and come from a humble family, am building proper toilets for children in vulnerable communities, as Christmas presents!
I’m excited about this project and would like you to join me.
2020 isn’t like any other year but I thank God for blessing me and my loved ones with a steady income and good health. So, in return, I’m going to give back to the community.
This Christmas, it will be different.
Why Toilets and How Can We Do This?
There are a few reasons why I choose to build proper toilets in vulnerable communities as Christmas presents. First, I want those children to have one of their basic necessities met – like hygienic, pleasant and safe toilets.
If you’re living in Malaysia, I bet you understand how it feels when your place experienced water rotation or has no water at all. Going to the toilet is the last thing you want to do when there’s no water.
Now, imagine the same thing happens to those children but every day – and they don’t even have proper toilets! Those children have to bear with it and are prone to infectious diseases :((
Second, I’ve personally experienced having to cope with improper toilets when I was in Cuba for 15 days. My tour group was travelling on a bus and oftentimes, we had to pretend to be blind and covered our noses when we were using public toilets.
Third, this may be subjective – spending RM210 to build proper toilets for 10 students as Christmas presents is still within my budget. You’re very much welcome to donate more if you want to, though!
So Clara, how are we going to do this?
Where are we going to build the toilets?
Are you sure RM210 is enough to buy the materials and pay the workers’ wages?
Don’t worry, it’s very simple. If you’re interested to give a different Christmas present to the community this year, you can join me and the others by donating some of your financial blessings to World Vision’s Gifts of Hope.
World Vision’s Gifts of Hope – from School Desks, Bicycle, Proper Toilets to Cows
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I’m just a normal girl, a normal employee who goes to the office every day by train. And my family is still renting the place that we’re living in.
Despite all of that, I’m building proper toilets for children in vulnerable communities as Christmas presents! How cool is that? And the best thing is, you can join me with just a few clicks ^ ^
World Vision is an international Christian relief, development, and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to overcome poverty and injustice. The organisation serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, and gender.
World Vision Malaysia
Besides toilets, there are many things that you can add to your Christmas Charity List such as:
- Bicycles (RM310 – RM620)
- School bags / School bags and stationery (RM110 – RM360)
- School shoes (RM188 – RM300)
- School desks (RM180 – RM360)
- Clean water (handwashing stations, sanitation & hygiene workshop) <RM60 – RM450>
- Nutrition packs & education (RM70 – RM420)
- Chicks, cows (RM55 – RM2,200)
- Seedings and equipment (RM130 – RM1,100)
- Medical equipment (RM180 – RM1,080)
- Sewing machines (RM265 – RM1,100)
- Mosquito nets (RM60 – RM120)
If you’re living in Malaysia, you can visit the World Vision Malaysia website. For other countries, go to the World Vision International website and choose the country that you’re currently residing in.
I don’t know about you, but according to my experience, every time I give, I receive more than I donate.
Like, when I insisted to keep my regular donations running even when I suffered a pay cut in the previous company, suddenly I landed a new role with a very generous company during the pandemic.
Also, when I donated for the toilets and transferred some money to a driver in Bali who lost his job due to the pandemic, suddenly a freelance translation job & a paid-survey collaboration came in.
So, yeah… I’m building proper toilets for children this Christmas, via World Vision. Will you join me? 🙂
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