Good morning/afternoon everyone Good morning/afternoon everyone. As we prepare for Christmas, today we are going to think about how we can make a world of difference this Advent.  [Show children stocking/bag] What do you think might be in here? We all like giving and receiving presents at Christmas time, but have you ever given a gift which has changed someone’s life? Today we are going to hear about some brilliant life-changing gifts. As we do this, we are going to listen to some stories from around the world about how these gifts are helping children to enjoy their rights. Rights are things that every child should have, or be able to do, to have the best start in life.

[Child picks an item out of the stocking/bag [Child picks an item out of the stocking/bag. Ask child to read reverse of picture]  Every child has the right to... [Click first stocking for marvellous moo cow slide, second for net that protects, third for water on wheels and fourth for help a refugee child]

Marvellous moo cow In many countries, animals like goats and cows are very important. They can help transform people’s lives. Wilmer lives with his wife and two children in rural Nicaragua. The area where they live is heavily affected by poverty, unemployment and climate change. With ever increasing extreme weather, local farmers like Wilmer struggle to produce enough food to feed their families or make savings. With CAFOD’s support, local experts have offered Wilmer training on how to raise cattle, as well as how to keep cows healthy so they produce more milk.   For now, the one cow produces enough milk for Wilmer and his family, but he hopes to be able to raise more cows in future so he can sell extra milk and cheese for a profit. “For the moment the cow’s milk is just for our own family but if the farm grows, we can also sell milk to others”. [Click home to return to stockings slide]

The net that protects When a child is born, they need protection. Just as Mary and Joseph took special care of baby Jesus, families around the world do everything they can to look after new born babies and keep them safe.  Unfortunately, diseases like malaria harm hundreds of thousands of people every year. Children and babies are particularly vulnerable. The good news is a simple treated mosquito net can keep a child safe from insects that carry malaria and other diseases. Mariam, 43, and her five children live in Sudan. When heavy rainfall in her town caused sudden flooding, there was no time to rescue any of their belongings. Her house and her living were destroyed.   Mariam and her children fled to the shelter of relatives who lived on higher ground. But there simply wasn’t enough room for them to stay for long – and they didn’t have enough mosquito nets to go round to protect the family from malaria.   Mariam and her family were among thousands of people left in desperate need after the devastating floods. With CAFOD’s help, Mariam received support to help rebuild their lives, including life-saving nets to protect her and her family from malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases in times of emergency. [Click home to return to stockings slide]

Water on wheels Who would like a bike for Christmas? Bikes can be used for fun, but are also useful for many people to get around their local area, all around the world. Can anyone remember how Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem? Would it have been quicker on a bike? Raphael is a water pump mechanic who makes sure that all of his community can access clean, safe water. Before he received a bike, he would have to walk miles to access the water sources, making his work slow and exhausting. Now he has a bike, Raphael can reach water supplies which are much further away, making sure they are safe and reliable. He can help far more people, as cycling into town to buy spare parts for the water supply is much faster. He also uses his bike to help sick people get to hospital, buying food for those who are less able and taking his children to school.  [Click home to return to stockings slide]

Help a refugee child With your support, CAFOD helps many refugee children around the world who have been forced to leave their homes, just as Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt.  Sami is nine years old and lives in Syria. He has been through so much. His sister, Maysara, was killed when a bomb hit their school. Sami was devastated and was scared to go to school.  CAFOD-funded tutors have worked closely with Sami to overcome his fears. With this support and with CAFOD-funded classes, Sami has been able to return to school. He is doing well, and when he is older, Sami wants to help rebuild Aleppo and create a better future for himself and his country. ‘Help a refugee child’ is a life-changing gift, which gives much-needed emotional and educational support to a child who has lived through the violence of war.

Today we have heard about some special gifts that change people’s lives. Could your school/ class work together this Christmas to buy a life-changing gift?  [CLICK] Just £7 could buy the net that protects, to keep children safe from malaria.  [CLICK] By raising £46 you could help a refugee child.  [CLICK] For £60 you could provide a bike to help people have access to clean and safe water.  [CLICK] Or if you are feeling more ambitious, for £150 you could buy a marvellous moo cow! 

To help you raise money together for a bike (or more than one if you would like a challenge!), you can use our Water on Wheels poster. The picture is broken down into 60 blocks, so you can mark off how much you raise and see how close you are to your target.

You can see lots of festive fundraising ideas in the photos You can see lots of festive fundraising ideas in the photos. You could do a: Christmassy bring and buy sale  Non-uniform day – Pay £1 to dress up in Christmas jumpers Christmas cake sale  Or come up with your own fab idea! 

cafod.org.uk/schoolsworldgifts www.cafod.org.uk Fundraise 1 2 Order gifts 3 Receive card 4 Change lives There are lots of other World Gifts to buy starting at just £4. This is how it works…  Do a festive fund raiser Choose and order World Gifts CAFOD sends out cards…  …and sends our World Gifts around the world to change people’s lives! cafod.org.uk/schoolsworldgifts

a better world can be built as a result of your young people, “My dear a better world can be built as a result of your efforts, desire to change your generosity!” and your Pope Francis

Loving God, Your Son was the greatest gift ever for the world. Help us to remember all that He taught us about loving our sisters and brothers, wherever they live in your world. Amen

Illustrations: Linda Bronson Photo credits: Joseph Kabiru, Samson Halleyesus, Caritas Syria, Tamiru Legesse, CAFOD partner, Gemma Salter | CAFOD, Thom Flint | CAFOD