And I’m not knocking that scenario if that sounds like what you plan to do this year. However, if you’re coming up blank on unique gift ideas for what to give the “mother” in your own life, or if the mom you plan to honor is one who now resides only in your memory, then maybe this year it’s time to reach across the globe to support other hardworking and creative women artisans or entrepreneurs worldwide. You can accomplish this by simply donating to a cause in honor of the mom you have in mind, or by purchasing some of their handcrafted work to present as a uniquely beautiful and significant gift for that special mom in your own life. And what mom wouldn’t feel great about reaching out and helping out another mom?
Here’s a quick trot across the globe to give you a few insights and ideas for organizations where you can “give back” to women across the globe who face challenges that might be unfamiliar to us, but whose hard work and artisanship embrace the same spirit of motherhood that all of us bestow on our own families everyday. Browse through a few of these sites to give yourself ideas on how you can support women everywhere who put their minds and energy into “growing a village” to strengthen the future for everyone.
1. Kiva is a non-profit organization located in San Francisco, California and they operate with the unique idea of providing microfinancing to help individuals lift themselves out of poverty by starting their own businesses or creating their own means of becoming self-sufficient. For as little as $25, you can begin to give hope and change a person’s life forever by helping them start their own business. And in some cases, your donation might even get partially repaid to you at a later time. Click on their website if you want to get inspired by their grass roots mentality and see how easy it is to help make a difference by donating to some of the hardworking women featured on this website, in honor of this Mother’s Day.
2. Global Women Artisans was started with the idea of providing marketing support for economically disadvantaged women by bringing their work to you and also to honor the individual social entrepreneurs who saw women in need and used their own entrepreneurial skills to build a network to help complete that connection. Click around this website to see some of the fantastic textiles, jewelry and accessories that you can purchase for the mom in your life and feel good about making a difference at the same time.
3. Operation Smile – Did you know that 1 in 10 children with a cleft palate can die before their 1st birthday if they don’t receive the surgery that is needed to correct this condition? Here’s a great organization where you can make a donation or purchase gift items for that special mom on your Mother’s Day list this year and positively change the course of a child’s life forever.
4. Visit the Vital Voices website to and click on “About Us” to learn more about how you can help women around the world increase their economic opportunities, safeguard human rights and expand participation within their own communities. If you find this concept seems to fit your “Make this a Global Mother’s Day” mindset, then click on “Donate Now” or “Get Involved” to see what you can do to reach out and make a difference for women across the globe.
