November 7, 2023
News
Christmas is slowly approaching and you are thinking of gifting your loved ones something special this year? We have a suggestion for you. How about giving people in disadvantaged regions a chance to stand on their own two feet while getting a great gift for your family and friends? Give a Meaningful Gift. In the following interview, Lenka Pipková, the manager of foreign communication at Caritas Czech Republic, explains what the Meaningful Gift is all about.
Caritas Czech Republic recently launched a campaign called Meaningful Gift. Can you tell us more about the campaign and what makes the gifts meaningful?
The Meaningful Gift is a way to support people in need while giving something nice to your loved ones. The goal is to offer an alternative, especially around Christmas, for people who do not want to give their loved ones gifts that will just gather dust but will be meaningful. I believe a Meaningful Gift is a perfect present because it can make your loved ones happy and at the same time give somebody in a difficult situation or a disadvantaged region a chance for a better life.
The Meaningful Gift is accessible year-round, making it suitable for any occasion, whether it is Christmas, birthdays, or other celebrations. You can choose a Meaningful gift from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is pick a specific gift from the website, make the donation, and you will receive a certificate by email. The certificates are available in both Czech and English, so it is suitable for everyone.
People can choose from various Meaningful gifts, such as Women empowerment, Higher education or a Beekeeping course. How many Meaningful gifts are there in total?
This year, we offer more than twenty gifts, even more than last year when we first launched the campaign. The gifts are diverse; we made sure there was something for everybody. For example, suppose the person you want to give it to is a doctor. In that case, they might be more appreciative of a gift related to healthcare, and that is what we offer. We also have a special selection of gifts in the fields of education, climate and environmental protection. For the first time this year, we offer humanitarian gifts in response to disaster situations. We also have a lot of gifts in the independence or self-sufficiency section because a big part of our work is supporting people to be able to provide for themselves, either by setting up their own businesses or, for example, through training courses.
In order to support independence and self-sufficiency, Caritas Czech Republic has been working long-term in various countries. In which countries does the organisation work, and what percentage of the Meaningful Gift donation goes to the people in the disadvantaged regions?
100% of the donation from the Meaningful gift goes to the people in disadvantaged regions where Caritas Czech Republic works, which means that all the money raised through this campaign goes to supporting people in need.
At the moment, we have our offices in seven countries, apart from the Czech Republic, of course. There is Zambia, Iraq, Mongolia, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, and Turkey, from where we also manage our projects in Syria. We focus mainly on development, which means that we do not try to jump into an area, do something, and then leave. We try to stay long-term to better understand the situation and the needs of the people. This way we can help people get on their feet and be independent and self-sufficient.
Can you give us specific examples of how Meaningful gifts help people in need worldwide? Have you personally met anyone who benefited from a Meaningful Gift?
I can talk about my favorite gifts, which support self-sufficiency. I particularly like them because they support people in disadvantaged areas or situations to get on their own feet. We provide some initial support, and then the person can get on with their life and get better. There are lots of gifts in the Meaningful Gift campaign that support self-sufficiency. Through education, we offer gifts that provide specific training, for example, a sewing course or a beekeeping course. It gives a chance to people to acquire a particular skill, and then they can start their own businesses. We focus on women's self-sufficiency as well. As a woman myself, I feel that those projects are significant because they help other women get empowered and supported in countries like Iraq. The donation allows them to start their own business and attend courses where they learn about entrepreneurship.
When I visited Iraq last year, I met lots of people who have been supported through Caritas Czech Republic. They became very successful entrepreneurs, and many of them now employ people from their community. The small gift of helping one person gets spread further and others can benefit from it.
The Meaningful Gift is a one-time donation. Is there any option to donate regularly to Caritas Czech Republic?
We really appreciate any donation that we receive because it allows us to help more people in need. We offer the option to become a regular contributor, and we are very grateful to anyone who decides to deepen their commitment in this way. A recurring donation helps us better plan and allocate resources. We provide donors with regular updates on the impact of their contributions, and I believe it allows the donor and Caritas Czech Republic to create a deeper relationship. Anyone who is interested can find out more about regular donations on our website.
