The Best.Gift.Ever in Action

Choosing a gift from the Best.Gift.Ever catalogue makes a BIG impact on the lives of children in Canada and around the world! Here are just some of the ways these gifts have given hope to children and families this past year.

Thanks to the gift of basket weaving, Linda can take her business to the next level.

BASKET WEAVING: $38

A mother of three, Linda always had an entrepreneurial spirit. But the income she earned from farming and part-time dressmaking wasn’t enough to support her family.

“I could not feed my children nutritious meals throughout the year. Even though my children were attending school, I found it very hard to cater for their educational needs.”

Because of kind donors who bought a Best.Gift.Ever, Linda received basket weaving training and joined a basket weaving group. Now, she gets more income from her basket sales than she would earn otherwise.

Her children eat well throughout the year, go to school with all the supplies they need, and their health care needs are met.

“Since I started basket weaving, my children’s lives have changed.”

TEACHER TRAINING: $60 

Investing in teacher training will give children a quality education that will set them up for future success.

For the moms and dads of very young children in this Bolivian town, they’ve found a special person in Andrea, their Early Childhood Educator.

Shaping the future for children aged one to five is a big responsibility, and Andrea takes it very seriously. She believes that in addition to patience and creativity, the number one way to be a great ECE is to “teach with love.”

Andrea received teacher training, thanks to donor support, where she learned how to best support her students and ensure their first five years are a success.

As an educator, Andrea takes joy in the success of her young students. “We already have kids in the second grade of primary school, and they are having a really good performance. I hope they continue like this and have a better life.”

Sheep are a gift to farmers that keeps on giving.

SHEEP: $60

Fati completely had her life turned around after receiving sheep and agricultural training from a generous donor who bought a Best.Gift.Ever.

“Before receiving a sheep, life was challenging for me – I couldn’t care for my four children in the way I wanted. I had very few animals and had difficulty ploughing my fields.”

Now, after receiving livestock, Fati can afford her children’s school fees and is able to meet the needs of the entire family. “I was able to expand my farm size from one acre to two with the support I received from generous Canadians. From a veterinarian, I learned how to properly care for my animals like identifying signs of illness and how to prevent infections.”

To help other families in her community, Fati is giving three sheep to neighbours so they can improve their livelihoods as well.

“It’s good to give back. Because someone helped me, it’s important for me to pay it forward to someone else in need.”

FISH FARMING KIT: $69

With this gift, farmers are given everything they need to increase fish production, generate income, and provide a significant source of nutrition for their community.

With the gift of a fish farming kit, farmers like Prudence are able to thrive in a livelihood that not only provides enough income for the family but allows for leadership and pride in oneself.

Before joining an aquaculture group, Prudence and her husband ran a small farm with very little yields, often having to skip meals to get by.

But thanks to generous Canadians, she joined a group of women aquaculturists to learn the lucrative skill.

“I am proud that as a woman, I can row a boat and travel through water to feed fish. They grow to such big sizes, and we can sell them for money.”

In addition to learning to paddle a canoe and feed fish, Prudence learned how to mend nets. “I am happy that I can carry out all these by myself, without the support of any man. I am also happy that I can teach other people.”

The fish farming has given Prudence’s income a significant boost, and now she can comfortably provide the basics for her family. The smoked fish from her haul has provided much needed protein for her growing family – and it’s delicious too!

Help grow an orchard in an Indigenous community, and support families to reclaim their culture and their traditions around food.

INDIGENOUS ORCHARD: $95

Indigenous orchards are the Best.Gift.Ever for Indigenous communities in Canada to plant their very own food forests!

Muskeg Lake Cree Nation was able to plant their own food forest, thanks to kind donors, using an innovative permaculture design to provide sustainable access to healthy food in the community while regaining Indigenous food sovereignty.

The community planted apple trees, berry bushes, and a variety of complementary trees to attract birds and pollinators in their orchard – all part of the first phase of the design.

“The food forest is something tangible that the community’s future leaders can take over after we’re gone,” said Albert Gamble, the lands manager for Muskeg Lake First Nation. “They’ll remember that they planted that tree and why.”

SCHOOL NUTRITION: $175

School meals motivate children to attend school and help them concentrate and learn while there.

Buying the Best.Gift.Ever of school nutrition, support for school nutrition programs can help fill the gap for children like Denis.

Living with his uncle and six cousins, Denis has a large family. His uncle took Denis in when his own parents could no longer care for him. Despite working hard on his farm every day, Denis’s uncle still struggles to feed all of the children under his care.

After he joined the school nutrition program, Denis can count on healthy meals at school even on days when his uncle struggles.

“When I eat hot meals at school, I feel good and satisfied” said Denis.

Visit bestgiftever.ca or call 1-800-387-1221