Giving to others is not only beneficial for those who are receiving. Giving boosts our sense of personal wellbeing too. Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:
- creating positive feelings and a sense of reward
- giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth
- helping you connect with other people
Giving is even recognised as one of the five fundamental “ways to wellbeing” by Mind and the NHS.
The Big Give
So, when our colleague Hayley told us about the work that she’s doing with charity acet UK and their Big Give Christmas Challenge, we thought our Make A Difference community would like to hear about it.
Acet UK is a Christian charity with a mission to equip and inspire individuals, schools, churches and organisations, in the UK and internationally, to transform culture by promoting healthy self-esteem, positive relationships and good sexual health.
Each year, in the run up to Christmas, Acet runs a campaign to raise funds that will be used to support vulnerable girls and women in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.
Their goal for 2023’s BIG GIVE Christmas Challenge is to raise £22,000 in one week. They believe that, with your support, this ambitious target can be reached, as Acet’s pledgers and Big Give champion funders have committed to DOUBLE all donations made between midday on Tuesday 28th November and midday on Tuesday 5th December.
What donations will be used for
Donations will be used to support vulnerable girls and women like Jabulani, Corsi and Naomi in building safe and fulfilling futures.
In South Africa, Jabulani is living with HIV, in poverty, and lost her home and all her belongings to the floods of April 2022. Now she, and 20 other women in the same situation, are being helped to build new houses and start a community-led business making blocks for home-building. You can read more about this project here.
In Zimbabwe, 16 year old Corsi turned to the sex trade to provide for herself and her child. Now she is being helped to leave the sex trade with business and vocational skills training and an apprenticeship in hairdressing. You can read more about this project here.
In Nigeria, 11-year-old Naomi was very sick when she was enrolled on the vulnerable children programme. Having been tested positive for HIV and supported with counselling and medication adherence, she is now healthy and is doing well at secondary school. You can read more about this project here.
You can find out more and donate to Acet’s Big Give Christmas Challenge here.
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