When I was little I wanted to change the world, a little Lisa Simpson in the flesh.

It was all so simple to me back then, why can’t everyone just share what they have? Then no one would be poor, no children would go hungry and everyone would have a house.

Simple, right? A humble solution in my infant mind.

My thoughts then turned into actions.  I sent my football shirts to Africa (yes, I was a tomboy for a while, who’d of thought it?) and sent shoe boxes of presents to others less fortunate at Christmas time.

I also set up a monthly donation to a charity the day I received my first pay check at 16 years old.

Although these were all small actions, with my mother’s encouragement, I felt pride in helping others as a child.

Now, in my late 20’s and with a beautiful 2 year old daughter of my own, my adult mind knows I have a responsibility to teach her the value of giving too.

To do this we decided that every Christmas we would replace a stocking stuffer gift with a donation to a charity on Belle’s behalf, teaching her to give up something of her own to help children less fortunate.

We then write a note about how proud we are of her for giving up a gift to help others and put it into her stocking.

She’s still so young, but this will be a tradition in our house, and we will keep the cards to show her as she grows.

A small gesture, but one that not only raises much needed funds for a charity, it also helps us teach our little girl the importance of giving.

This year I have been blessed with the opportunity to work for the inspirational African Children’s Choir.

The Choir perform around the world, acting as the ambassadors for Africa’s most in need children – raising much needed awareness and funds for the education of the continent’s most vulnerable children, as well as their own education, as they go.

We have launched a campaign called ‘Give up a Gift for Africa’ and are appealing to parents, like you, to turn one of your child’s stocking stuffer gifts into a donation to The African Children’s Choir this Christmas – as we will be doing with Belle.

Once the donation has been made you will receive a link to a printable Christmas card, via your confirmation email, to put into your child’s stocking as a thank you – there’s even space to write them a special message.

Money raised by the Give up a Gift for Africa campaign will go towards both The African Children’s Choir programme, and the many other essential programmes run by their official fundraising charity Music for Life, who have helped educate over 52,000 vulnerable African children in their 28 years.  

So you too can teach your children the important message of giving this Christmas by donating to The African Children’s Choir on behalf of your little ones, helping us create ChangeMakers for the future of Africa.

For more information about Give up a Gift for Africa please visit
http://africanchildrenschoir.com/help/give-up-a-gift-for-africa/

Or to DONATE NOW via First Giving visit http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/african-childrens-choir/give-up-a-gift-for-africa   

We are also appealing to mommy bloggers to help us promote this inspirational campaign. If you would like to support Give up a Gift for Africa on your blog please email shelley.lawrence@africanchildrenschoir.com

The African Children’s Choir are also on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/africanchildrenschoir

Twitter: @acchoir #ACCGiveupaGift

The post ‘Give Up A Gift For Africa’: Written by Guest Blogger Shelley Lawrence appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.