You’ve heard of Movember. You’ve heard of Veganuary. Now we’re claiming the month of February as Zambiary!
First and foremost, Zambiary is an opportunity to recover from the busy festive period. To take stock. To declutter. To simplify.
Here’s the ask. As a small, lean charity, we don’t have charity shops or a high street presence. But we do have hundreds of generous supporters… just like you. Please could we ask you to sell your unwanted Christmas gifts, have a good old tidy-up and list all those items that you thought you really needed but actually don’t have space for. Could it actually be true that less is more? What can you find in your lounge, under the bed, lurking in a cupboard, hiding in the attic or festering in the garage that might raise a few much-needed quid in these challenging financial times?
Once you’ve sold the items (without offending any great aunts), we simply ask that you give a portion of the proceeds to ZOA – either by donating online, or by sending a cheque the old way.
If you’re an avid Ebay user, you can support ZOA by choosing us as your preferred charity on each item you list. If you tell us what you’re selling (ideally via social media, using the #Zambiary hashtag), we’ll even try to drum up some demand for your lots. You can preset what proportion of the sale you would like to donate. And if you donate 100% of the sale to ZOA, you’ll save on sellers’ fees too. Win-win!
Once you’ve restored your living room to a zen, Marie Kondo-style idyll, you may find that you want to add a trinket or two. If you are buying this Zambiary, you can add a donation to ZOA every time you use PayPal online. And if you’re using Amazon, make sure you buy from smile.amazon.co.uk and choose ‘Zambia Orphans Aid UK’ to benefit from your purchase (until 20 February only).
You’ll want to invite people round to see your newly decluttered living space. Another opportunity to support ZOA. Why not bake some cakes, put on a pot of tea and hold a coffee morning raising money for an excellent cause? (Well, we think so!)
Or if you want to keep your home spick and span and avoid the risk of crumbs spoiling things, why not take your baked goods into your place of work instead and raise some money there?
We will be sharing some of the sights and sounds of Zambia throughout the month, with some inspirational thoughts and updates from our grassroots partners in Zambia. Look out for our #Zambiary tagged posts on Facebook and Twitter.
We’d love to know what you’re doing too. So whether you’re listing things on Ebay, inviting people round for a Zambian music evening or getting busy in the kitchen, please do let us know. Email [email protected] or, better still, post the details on your own social media channels, being sure to use the #Zambiary hashtag.
Whatever you are able to do, thank you. We know things are hard right now. We also know that the children we support across Zambia are counting on us. However insignificant it may seem, every pound counts. We are truly grateful.
Happy Zambiary!