It's on again....SFLIG's annual 'When You Eat, They Eat' Christmas Event!!

This week sees the launch of one of SFLIG’s biggest events – the ‘When You Eat, They Eat’ annual Christmas picnic. For the past two years, Solutions for Life Initiative – Ghana has provided over 1000 underprivileged children in Kumasi with a Boxing Day they won’t forget. Held at the luscious grounds of the Cultural Centre, this event has provided street children and orphans with more than just a meal at Christmas – it has provided them with a day where they can experience the joy and sense of belonging that Christmas is renowned for.

From the moment the first child arrives to the time that the last one departs, this day is full of activity. There is the jumping castle, which continually provides a ‘wow’ factor with the kids – the lines never seem to go down! Then there is the face painting tent, where kids have been transformed into butterflies, super heroes or something from their own imagination. The horseback riding, which is not for the faint hearted and of course, the classic dancing chairs – a game that never fails to provide spills and thrills. And this is just to name a few!! All this activity creates a healthy appetite and the food and drinks do not disappoint! However, lunch time is not just about feeding that appetite. One of the main objectives of the day is to ensure that these children are given the opportunity to share a meal and be merry with each other and with the larger community, particularly volunteers and sponsors. The title ‘When You Eat, They Eat’ is symbolic of this concept – those from the larger community sharing with children who they may have seen selling on the street corner earlier that week. It is one of the reasons that make this celebration so unique – children leave the day with a full belly, yes, but more than that, they leave feeling joy and love.

For volunteers of the event, this day begins early! Before the first child arrives there are chairs to set up, jumping castles to blow up, stalls to erect, beverages to be chilled, banners to be posted – the list goes on and continues to grow throughout the day. However, despite this long list, every year volunteers continually talk about the joy this day brings them. It is Saint Francis who stated ‘It is in giving that we receive’ – a fitting quote to detail what all volunteers experience at the ‘When You Eat, They Eat’ event.

In 2013 we are looking to make this day even bigger and better. There will be more activities, including arts and crafts, Christmas story telling and a souvenir picture with Santa himself, a wider range of games and even more variety in the food and drinks. But, we need your help! We at SFLIG are calling upon you good people to give a special gift this Christmas – it could be the gift of your time through volunteering; it could be a financial donation at our gofundme.org account                                      ( http://www.gofundme.com/4cbluc ) or it could be a donation in kind (please contact infor@sflig.org) – whatever you choose to do, please know that every little bit helps in making this day a success. Thank you in advance for your help, we’re looking forward to sharing the stories of the day with you all soon!