Today it is estimated that more than 1.2 billion children worldwide may live in poverty, which means they lack access to proper health care, nutrition, housing and education. This problem has only become worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a further increase in challenges for affected families.
Now, more than ever, people in developed countries need to step up to the plate to consider how they can make a difference in these lives. If you’d love to help, you can donate monthly to support childhood education in these impoverished countries. But how do you go about this?
Creating lasting change
You can make a monthly donation to ChildFund Australia to support change for childhood education in developing communities. By committing each month, you’ll be able to help these children and their families and provide a level of consistency that they would otherwise miss out on. Your donations will also help fund important health and safety work in these communities.
The advantage of monthly donation
You may have been used to giving money to charities as and when they arise, and this money will also find its way to a good cause. However, when you commit to making a monthly donation regularly, it helps a charity such as ChildFund Australia focus on its goals and deliver our work in childhood education.
Adjusting your donation
You can make a flexible monthly donation should you wish, by adjusting the amount that you give each month. The important thing is that you are giving consistently and making changes to childhood education as you do so.
ChildFund Australia will keep you up-to-date on our work and show you where your money is going. This will help you see how you make a difference to the education of real children.
Making one-off donations
And if you wish, you can also make additional, one-off donations to childhood education by purchasing Gifts for Good, which can make a tremendous difference. For example, for a donation of $76, you can donate a School Supplies Set which gives the gift of essential school supplies for a student.
For many parents, school supplies like pens, pencils and notebooks are unaffordable. Your donation can provide a student with the items they need for a successful year of learning, along with a backpack to carry them in. A good quality school bag can also help children to carry their school supplies more safely and comfortably.
Supporting the three pillars
ChildFund Australia supports children in developing nations through the three pillars of Health, Education and Safety. Your monthly donation will mean more children than ever can attend school and have the means to stay and continue their education. Your donation will also help to train new teachers, improve facilities at individual schools and purchase learning resources. Your generosity will reach children in need of many different ethnicities, ages and abilities.
Claiming tax deductions
Did you know that your donation is tax-deductible? In fact, you can submit any tax-deductible donation over $2 as part of your annual tax return. A tax-deductible donation is a monetary gift given without the promise of something in return and includes community appeals. Just remember that for a donation to be tax-deductible, it needs to be made to a charity that has a Deductible Gift Recipient status, just like ChildFund Australia.
Once you’ve made a one off donation, you should expect to get a tax receipt within two weeks. If you sign up for a monthly donation, you will receive an annual receipt, typically sent at the end of July, ready for tax season.
Donate monthly today
If you would like to regularly donate for childhood education in developing countries, sign up to donate monthly to ChildFund Australia today. Your donation can make a difference to the education of 1,000 children per year, helping them to reach their fullest potential in life.
Why do we celebrate Book Week?
Children’s Book Week Australia is organised by the Australian Publishers Association (APA), which represents more than 300 members from print publishers across Australia. Since 2015, the Australian government has supported Children’s Book Week through its Department of Education and Training as part of its Read Anywhere — Get Reading program.
Children’s Book Week Australia is a national initiative that highlights and celebrates the importance of books in children’s lives. It aims to raise awareness of the benefits of reading, encourage parents and carers to read to children and develop a community of book lovers and readers. At ChildFund Australia, our vision is a world without poverty where all children and young people can say “I am safe, I am educated, I contribute, I have a future,” and books are a critical part of our work in countries around the world.
When is Book Week?
Book Week 2022 is from Saturday 20th August to Friday 26th August.
This year’s theme “Dreaming With Eyes Open”
This year, Children’s Book Week Australia returns with the theme “Dreaming With Eyes Open.” Having a dream is one of the most important things in life for children all across the world. A dream can represent hopes, wishes, and aspirations for a better future. Having a dream can provide children with a sense of purpose, regardless of their current circumstances, and can offer a source of inspiration when feeling down or discouraged.
Every child has dreams
Every child needs dreams. Dreams are a product of the imagination, where there are no limits to the stories that can be told. Dreams are also products of our inner creativity, with this year’s Book Week theme encouraging children to keep dreaming of new stories and worlds.
During Book Week 2022, you can show your support for reading by getting involved in one of the five activities described below.
5 Book Week activities
This Book Week, you can encourage your child to dream about the kind of world they’d like to live in and create stories that take place in their ideal future. Every child longs for a place where they can be themselves, without being limited by their immediate surroundings or living conditions.
1. What kind of world do you dream of?
Provide your children with writing and drawing materials and ask them to dream about the kind of world they’d like to live in. Is it full of fun? Play? Love? Peace? Magic? The point is to encourage their imaginations to run wild.
Ask them to draw pictures of the world they dream of and their place in that world, and write a short story about the kind of world that they’d like to live in when they’re older.
2. Reading stories is like dreaming with your eyes open
A good book creates pictures and stories in our minds that are similar to dreams. Ask children to name their favourite storybook and why. Is it because of the characters? The place where they live? Their friendships and other relationships? Their adventures?
You can ask them to write an illustrated report on their favourite book to pin to the wall and share with the family. You could also help your child to find a new favourite book in one of our 7 stories to help your child learn about the world.
3. Dress up as a favourite book character
Dressing up as a book character is a popular activity every Book Week, allowing children to explore their imaginations and celebrate their favourite stories.
Some DIY home costume ideas for this year’s ‘Dreaming With Your Eyes Open’ theme include a Dragon box costume to celebrate classics such as The Neverending Story or How to Train Your Dragon, or a homemade headband crown to bring to life stories such as The Queen’s Wardrobe or The Queen and I.
4. Donate to support the education of children in developing countries
Children in developing countries often dream of going to school every day to learn to read and write, but for many this is simply not possible due to reasons such as poverty, distance, or needing to work to help support their family . You can help to make their dreams a reality by signing up to donate monthly to ChildFund Australia.
With your help, many more children will be able to attend school and access the support required to stay there. This includes girls, children with disabilities, and children from ethnic minorities. Your support will help train teachers, provide learning resources such as books and improve the facilities of local schools.
5. Buy one of ChildFund’s Gifts for Good
Many children in need do not have access to books and other stationery items needed to study in school, preventing them from obtaining an adequate education. You can help to make their dreams come true, by donating one of ChildFund Australia’s Gifts for Good. Gift options include a School Supplies Set, which provides a student with essential items needed for learning such as books, pens, pencils and a backpack.
