plan usa

Being as broke as I am, I decided weeks ago that no one is getting Christmas presents from me this year. Perhaps I'll just write nice notes instead? Anyway, when my Plan USA: Gifts of Hope catalog came in the mail on Monday, I knew that no matter how tight money is, I had to buy something. How could I not?

Plan USA is an independent, non-profit organization that, through child sponsorships, donations and partnerships, works to provide a better future for the underprivileged children of the world. From their website:

Founded over 70 years ago, Plan is one of the oldest and largest international development agencies in the world. We work in 48 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas and raise funds in 21 countries...

Through child sponsorship, donations, and partnerships, more than 1,500,000 children and their families directly benefit from our grassroots, self-help programs in health, education, water and sanitation, income-generation and cross-cultural communication. Indirect beneficiaries include an estimated further 9,000,000 people living in communities working with Plan.
Two years ago, in December 2008, I made the New Years resolution to help someone other than myself in 2009. I spent a lot of time researching organizations like this before I decided on sponsoring a child through Plan USA. Dipesh is eight-years old and lives in Nepal with his mom and baby brother. Every six months or so, Plan USA sends me an updated picture of him, as well as a kind of progress report to let me know how he's been doing. And sometimes I even get a little drawing he's made. :) I also receive an email every year reminding me when his birthday is coming up so I can send him a letter or card. I can't believe it's already been two years, but I have to say that my donation to Plan USA for Dipesh is the best money I spend every month.


Anyway, around Christmas time they send out a catalog of gifts you can donate to families and children in need. Things like mosquito netting for a family or village to keep out mosquito-transmitted malaria, donating the money for a sheep or cow (which equals precious food or milk for a family), planting a mango tree to help feed children, etc. Reading through the catalog, everything is so necessary that it was hard to pick just one or two things to "buy." I ended up donating the money for a birth certificate ($25), a home birthing kit ($25), and childhood vaccinations ($25). My parents also decided to put money in to buy a goat for a family ($75). I really encourage everyone to look over the website and consider donating something this year. Perhaps even considering sponsoring a child! I can't tell you how blessed I feel to support this organization and know that Dipesh has shoes, school supplies, and food, and what a relief that must be to his family.


When I start to complain or feel sorry for myself that I can't go buy a new pair of boots (when I still have a perfectly good pair in the closet) or go out to eat with my friends as often as a want, I stop and remind myself of Dipesh and Plan USA and all the families struggling out there. Then, of course, I feel horribly selfish, but all the same, I know I can do something to help.

We all can, and we all should.

Please take a few minutes today to look over Plan USA's website and gifts of hope catalog. We are such a blessed people; let's bless others in return.



PS: I so wish I could share with y'all a picture of my little Dipesh so you can ooo and awww over how cute he is, but I don't have a scanner. So, just trust me. :)