Animals
If you are particularly interested in animals or want to give an animal as a gift to help poor people – check these alternative presents below. The major charities are now able to deliver goats, pigs, sheep and chickens, not to mention llamas, to deprived areas of the world. The advantage of making an animal as your alternative gift is that this gift has the potential to grow and multiply year after year delivering benefits far in excess of your original generous donation.
| Item | Cost | |
 | Vet care kit  This little gift makes a big contribution to the vaccinations and veterinary care of goats, donkeys, sheep and other livestock around the world. Healthy animals mean happy owners, because they keep on getting the best from their four-legged friends. It's a bit like being a vet from the comfort of your own armchair, only (thankfully) without the rubber gloves. | £17.00 |
 | Ducks  Ducks you can sell them, eat their eggs and barter them at market. Since 1998, Christian Aid partner Friends in Village Development Bangladesh has been helping people recover from devastating floods by giving them ducks. A gift like this could help a family rebuild their lives after a disaster. | £24.00 |
 | Goat Our goats go only where they'll thrive, and to owners who'll really appreciate the extras they provide there's fertiliser to spread, milk to drink and sell, plus kids too. Goats, bought locally, also give nomadic communities a mobile source of income. | £25.00 |
 | Pigs Some farmers in Nicaragua, hadn't had a harvest for six years. Following the gift of a pig one now breeds pigs, and for every 12 piglets born, he passes two on to another family. Those he keeps provide him with both food and an income. A gift like this could really help produce long-term benefits. | £27.00 |
 | 40 Chickens  So many families around the world are finding life hard because they've lost a parent - often due to war or illness. Providing a mother with a flock of chickens helps in two ways. She'll not only be able to enrich her children's diet, but as the flock grows she'll also be able to sell chickens or eggs to earn money. This is a great way to help a family provide for themselves in the long term. | £29.00 |
 | Turkeys In Tajikistan, no one knows more about turkeys than Ghios Samadov. Trained in poultry rearing by Christian Aid, Samadov now runs a thriving turkey farm, and has passed on what he learnt to others in his community. That way everyone can earn extra money selling eggs and birds at the market. A gift like this really could really go on giving. | £35.00 |
 | 2 Goats Goats are great, because they give a mother a way to enrich her children's diet with milk. As the pair of goats mate and have kids, she'll be able to use the goats for meat or sell them to provide much-needed income. This gift is great for building a secure future as well as changing a family's life now. | £36.00 |
| Pair of Goats Our goats go only where they'll thrive, and to owners who'll really appreciate the extras they provide there's fertiliser to spread, milk to drink and sell, plus kids too. Goats, bought locally, also give nomadic communities a mobile source of income. | £50.00 |
 | Herd of goats A herd of goats can go a long way in a place like Bangladesh. A goat provides milk to drink and sell, while its droppings can be used as fertiliser. This helps people grow better vegetables to feed their families. And like all livestock, goats produce other goats. A gift like this could go on and on making it the perfect present for someone who really wants to make a difference. | £60.00 |
 | Water buffalo It’s not just cute. It’s also a powerful weapon in the fight against poverty. £93 buys a baby buffalo to provide an Egyptian family with milk and cheese that can be sold for income – perhaps for many years to come. And it will ultimately breed more baby buffalos to sell. Sarah Makram, says ‘the water buffalo has helped us a lot. It’s like the kitchen of our house. | £93.00 |
 | Yak You may not have thought about buying a yak for Christmas, but for some children it's top of their wish list. Our yaks in Tibet provide nutritious milk and wool for knitting, as well as helping with the ploughing. I bet Auntie Flo's woolly jumper can't do all that. | £160.00 |
 | Cow A cow can give women like Yulkuncha in Kyrgyzstan a daily source of milk to drink, manure for crops and – a few months down the line – calves to sell or eat. Once her cow has calved, Yulkuncha will return one calf to a Christian Aid partner, who can then loan it to another family. Projects like this give people the tools they need to become self-sufficient. A gift like this can therefore give so much. | £180.00 |
The alternative gift links on this page connect to Oxfam Reg. charity No 202918, World Vision Registered Charity no. 285908, Save the Children charity No 213890 or Christian Aid, registered charity no 1105851