Surpassed Unwrapped Target!

We are really pleased to be able to say that we surpassed our target of selling $5,000 of Unwrapped cards this Christmas. Between July 1 and Christmas Eve we had sold $7, 600 worth of cards, with over $6,000 worth of sales in the last few weeks. Those Fair Trade Elves have been writing a lot of Unwrapped receipts! Thanks to everyone who was involved and all the customers who purchased cards from us this year.

Sure beats another pair of woollen socks!

It’s a simple equation: livestock equals milk, fertiliser and income. Help buy a goat and lamb bundle and you’re helping provide a whole lot of self-sufficiency to communities around the world

An Eggscellent Christmas Gift

Know someone who deserves an eggscellent gift this Christmas, we have just the thing!

Give thousands of drinks for Christmas

Buy a loved one this clean water card and we will give a very special clean water jar to a Cambodian family on their behalf. The jar will filter water, remove germs and increase life expectancy for a poor family living on the Mekong – simply by purifying their water. Yes, this is one present that will never be re-gifted.

Raising Funds- Anne's Wishlist

Group members will be aware that we will be holding a special event on the 19th of September to celebrate fifty years of volunteering by Anne Batt, a founding member of this group. It has been decided that the dinner will be a fundraising dinner for the East Africa Appeal and we hope to raise at least $3000.
Anne has also created an Unwrapped Wishlist, please feel free to join in and purchase a card from this list. I have just enjoyed purchasing some fruit trees.

Making a Difference - Donations August 2009

Bicycle ambulance - $296

In Malawi, there are no flashing lights and sirens when these Bicycle Ambulances transport the sick, but that doesn’t make them any less effective. As a mode of transport, they’re effective, practical and with your help, cheap to get on the road! Help get behind these carers as they pedal their way to save the day.

Toilet - $45

You’d be forgiven for thinking that a toilet couldn’t be smart, but when these emergency toilets are set up in refugee camps and in disaster relief areas, they reduce the risk of disease and help people regain a sense of dignity when times are tough. A powerful piece of porcelain indeed.

Water for a school - $98

In Laos and Cambodia, remote provinces have poor sanitation. Even schools lack basic facilities and as a consequence it is extremely difficult to encourage children to attend school and also, recruit and retain teachers. This gift helps give schools and teachers’ houses latrines, pump wells and water tanks. These not only provide clean water, they teach children and their parents about pump maintainance, hygiene and water conservation.

Bees - $103

In Malawi, a gift of bees gives poor people the opportunity to generate an income — especially women and those living with HIV and AIDS. The sweetest part about bee-keeping is unlike other crops, it doesn’t require as much land. So for those who don’t have much to begin with, this is a very sweet gift indeed.

Veggie Garden - $52

Perfect for your green thumbs, this gift helps cultivate a 100m2 plot with vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, carrots, potatoes and onions to prevent food shortages and malnutrition. Plant some hope today.

Build a house $750

Good affordable housing is a major challenge for the people of Port Vila, Vanuatu. Limited access to running water and toilets are common, with many people in urban centres living in galvanised iron homes which are vulnerable to cyclone damage. By providing young people with construction training, this gift equips them to build and renovate houses for families in their community using cement slab foundations, concrete blocks and hardwood frames and shutters.

"Thank you...for giving me a chance to learn as well as technically supporting me through my project. I encourage all young people to go through the program and learn or get skills that will help them develop themselves." - Collen Licht, aged 22, developed skills needed to build his house through a program funded by Oxfam Australia.

Orphan care pack - $97

Across southern Africa, AIDS is robbing millions of children of their parents. You can help some of the world’s most vulnerable orphans to live and learn with this care package of food parcels and school fees.