The International Day of Charity
This observance was established by the United Nations (UN) in honour of missionary Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to a ministry for the poor. To recognize the role of charity in “alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering within and among nations,” The International Day of Charity is observed each year on Sept. 5. The UN hopes to motivate and mobilise citizens worldwide to take charitable action on this day, and help make the world a better place.
For the Conservation of Life
Since 2007, at The White Feather Foundation, we’ve worked towards our mission to Conserve Life. Over the years, we’ve evolved into focusing on projects that fall into the following four areas of giving:
- The Preservation of Indigenous Cultures, where we have helped tribes reclaim their Native lands; produced documentary films to educate the world about their challenges; worked to elevate Indigenous voices through arts fellowships and raised funds to provide emergency relief to Indigenous communities in times of crises.
- The Environment, where we have planted trees to fight deforestation and establish infrastructure in developing nations; helped fund and produce documentaries about plastic pollution and soil regeneration; and sponsored critical missions to study the impact of climate change.
- Health & Education, where we have provided over 40 young girls with educational opportunities through The Cynthia Lennon Scholarship for Girls; supported lifesaving HIV/AIDS prevention courses with vital funding in rural Ethiopia; and purchased ambulances to provide ongoing emergency relief in Uganda.
- Clean Water, where we implemented an aqueduct system to bring clean water to a school for Indigenous students; replaced a failing water distribution network at a Malawi mission for blind and low vision children; and dug clean water wells for developing communities in Rwanda and Ethiopia.
The World Today
From the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan to the devastating aftermath of recent natural disasters—all whilst in the midst of a global pandemic—there continues to be a significant need for relief and systematic restructuring worldwide.
The financial ramifications of Covid-19 coupled with the increasing outcomes of weather-related events as a result of, or made more severe by climate change, have made populations more vulnerable. Everywhere we turn there is a worthy cause in need of support to repair damage, address ongoing issues or establish preventative measures to ensure a stable future.
How to Help
The news can be overwhelming and leave us wondering where to begin when it comes to offering our support to a cause. Thankfully, there are many resources that help wade through the noise and allow us to take action with just the touch of a button—all without spending money.
- Global Citizen is an app that mobilises people to help end extreme poverty. It’s free to sign up and users get rewarded with points they can redeem for prizes each time they take action for a chosen cause.
- Freerice is a website that donates to the World Food Programme each time a user answers a quiz question correctly.
- Charity Miles is an app that tracks your fitness and donates to a charity of your choice for every mile you move.
- The ONE Campaign is an organization that fights poverty by preparing grassroots online campaigns to lobby political leaders.
- Chummy is an app that allows communities to seek and offer help in real time to foster an ecosystem of kindness.
- Fotition is an app that takes users through fun photo challenges for causes they care about, which sponsors match with donations to those causes.
If you’re in a position to give monetarily and wish to support The White Feather Foundation, you can do so by making a donation, buying our merchandise or bidding on items in The Cynthia Lennon Birthday Auction (which ends Sept. 10).
Every little bit helps and no contribution or action is too small. Let’s work together to make a difference.
Rainbow photo (c) Julian Lennon, 2020. Follow @julespicturepalace on Instagram to see more of his photography.
