By Annelise Jagitsch
Christmas is a special time of year. Families come together after long periods apart. Old friends reunite. People give gifts and enjoy fun activities together. But so often we forget about those who can't receive gifts and can't have those fun experiences.
Did you know that Burundi, located on the continent of Africa, is the poorest country in the world? 87% of the population of Burundi live below the World Bank's poverty measure ($1.90) per day. 52% of children under the age of 5 have stunted growth and malnutrition. Life expectancy is 62.71 years but even more alarming, Burundi has the 34th highest infant mortality rate in the world (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/infant-mortality-rate/country-comparison/).
This year, instead of spending tons of money on materialism, consider helping people around the world who don't have the nice things that we do in America. If you gave just $10, you could help someone in Burundi get clean water or pay for half a month of their salary. Jesus is the reason for the season so let's see what we can do to be like Him. What can you do this holiday season?