A goat under the Christmas tree definitely sounds like a strange idea, but writer Karen Stiller explains why goats make such great Christmas presents.
The first time our family discussed buying a goat from World Vision Canada’s Gift Catalogue, my youngest son got very excited at the prospect of a goat living in our backyard. He thought the goat could come into the house when it wanted and anticipated all the things you can do with your very own city goat. It took some explaining before he grasped that the goat actually does not come to our home, but goes to another child’s family, somewhere really far away.
Yes, we buy it, but it’s not our lives that are going to change because of the goat.
And goats do change lives. Families who receive goats have access to fresh milk — up to 250 litres of milk a year on average. That milk provides protein, nutrients and even income for families who sell the excess. Goat manure is organic fertilizer that helps vegetable gardens grow, so families can produce nutritious food for their children. Bring two goats together and things really begin to happen. Two goats can breed two to three kids a year and, eventually, multiply into a herd. Goats are resilient and hardy and do well in different kinds of climates — just not my own backyard.
As it turns out, when a nice Canadian family buys a goat—or anything else from World Vision’s Gift Catalogue—for a far-away family in need, our own lives do change. My kids have a heightened and growing awareness of the reality of poverty around the world, and how simple acts of generosity can change this world. Their hearts grow with every goat we buy.
Give a meaningful gift this year.
