Furever Gifts

For many, the joy of giving can be marred with the realization that gift-giving itself is a dressed up episode of consumerism. But what if you want to actually be charitable this season and buy your gift conscientiously? A number of Saigon charities and organizations sell gifts that directly benefit important causes, like womens’ economic empowerment and animal welfare. We’re collected a few of them below.

Print

If you’re looking to do more than just buy a thing in your gift giving, consider buying something from animal shelter ARC Vietnam (Animal Rescue & Care). The animal shelter offers mugs and bandanas whose purchase benefits the dogs, cats and other creatures in their care. Their showcase item, however, is the ARC Vietnam calendar (VND200,000; sold at Saigon Pet Clinic (33 Street 41, D2), Saiga’s House (23 Street N4 – KDC Hoan Cau, D7) and Kokois (24 Thao Dien, D2), which takes you through 2019 with photos of their cute wards. A hard copy calendar can be an important tool to help you visualize your month and see where your time is going. A calendar with a lot of cute things is, well is never unwelcomed.

Print

Among the items available through 

Bright Solutions Vietnam’s (www.facebook.com/brightsolutionsvietnam) textile product lineup is a fabric ABCs book, finger puppets and cloth Christmas decorations. There’s a distinct style to Brights Solutions’ work that can be described as playful, soft in the emotional sense as well as the physical. The tone belies the serious work of Brights Solutions’ organizational objectives. The company retails cloth goods made by underprivileged Vietnamese women. The women Bright Solutions serves come from a range of backgrounds and life experiences including domestic violence and social marginalization, but what binds them all together in common is a lack of opportunity and economic empowerment. Bright Solutions acts as not only a vendor for these women, but also as a vocational training organization and an entry point for their products to join an international market. To ensure quality, vendors receive training and coaching from the company to both produce well-made products and build the life skills necessary to enhance their standard of living.

“We consider equipping women of all ages with life skills and relational skills just as important as providing them with access to a self-supporting trade and sustainable income,” Fiona Briers, founder and director, said in a statement. Bright Solutions is a partner in the United Nations gender equality and poverty reduction goals. It’s nearly time to don the holiday dress and put up those decorations. Among Bright Solutions’ soft selection are Christmas ornaments. If you feel inclined to deck the proverbial halls this season, this is a great way to go.

Oi Vietnam-June2017_Fiona_DSC8952_NT

Need more ideas?

Coffee seller Maison Du Saigon (www.facebook.com/maisondusaigon) has a range of products including mugs and coasters that benefit their sustainability initiatives. The company partners with local makers and is an important access point for Vietnamese artisans to sell their goods in Canada.

Sweets maker Little Rose Bakery (www.facebook.com/littlerosebakery) has cookies and cakes for celebrating the holiday season. The bakery is a business that supports the Little Rose orphanage as well as local schools served from the organization.

Mekong Creations (www.facebook.com/MekongCreations) is one of Vietnam’s best-known NGO of handcrafted goods. It’s a great place to find something unique including a handmade denim tote bag or one of the store’s coveted quilts. Money spent there goes toward social welfare programs that aim to strengthen the presence of local artisans in the international market.

Share this story, choose your platform!

About the author:

Leave a Comment

5 Examples of Wrongful Termination Explained

Being fired from work can be a traumatic experience for anyone. However, if it has been done illegally it’s even more overwhelming. There are many instances where letting go of an employee is completely valid. But, if you have been unfairly dismissed without a reason – legal action can be taken.  To help you understand

Read More »

Six Signs That Indicate Your Partner Is Micro-Cheating On You

Relationship experts say that “clearly defining your boundaries can set a happy and healthy relationship with your partners.” However, we may need to understand when these boundaries go too far off the line and create a rift in our relationship. Every relationship has little white lies or harmless secrets that partners keep from each other. Not

Read More »

How Carpet Cleaning Enhances Carpet’s life and Value?

Carpet cleaning can be painstaking when you have a large house and many carpets. With that in mind, it is easy to understand why people require the services of professional carpet cleaning companies that can quickly clean up your messes. However, carpets are not the only things you might need to clean up. When it

Read More »

The States That Have Legalized Marijuana So Far 2021

Are you interested in the legalization status of marijuana, especially in the United States, and want to learn more? Do you want to know where in the United States you could visit and still be able to smoke a joint legally? The legalization of marijuana has been a hot topic in the United States for

Read More »

Understanding A Hoarder: Why Can’t They Throw Anything Away?

To provide an understanding and the process of hoarding, we must first understand its definition. Hoarding is defined as a single-minded urge of collecting and safekeeping unwanted items in great numbers. Most of the people afflicted with hoarding disorder find it hard to throw away items. A hoarder desires to save items that they know

Read More »

Vietnam War Student Protests

Where did the student movement begin? The US airplanes started bombing North Vietnam in February 1965 after North Vietnamese submarines invaded 2 US ships at the Gulf of Tonkin. President Lyndon B Johnson commanded the revenge attacks blasting armed targets in North Vietnam. There were some criticisms about how the government was battling the self-governing

Read More »