Young people buying more crap for a good cause

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While 15 – 29 year-olds are often branded as the apathetic Generation Y, Oxfam Australia reports the number of young people buying charitable gifts has doubled since it started its Oxfam Unwrapped program in 2005.

The percentage of young people purchasing the gifts has risen steadily from 8 per cent in the first year to 16 per cent in 2009 based on purchases to date. Analysis of last year’s sales also reveals that quirkier gifts like cattle manure – which helps people in Sri Lanka who use it as a cheap fertiliser to increase their crops – are most popular with the 15 – 29 age group.

Over the same period, the popularity of the gifts among 30 to 44 year-olds, generally considered to be Generation X, and the 45 to 59 year-old ‘Baby Boomer’ Generation has remained relatively steady.

The top-seller across all age groups last year was the chicken, which this year will support Oxfam’s work with women in Laos to help them learn how to rear poultry to earn a living.

Oxfam Unwrapped allows people to purchase items like goats, cooking sets and cattle manure to help the aid agency provide similar items to poor communities, while receiving a card to show friends how they are helping.

Oxfam Australia Fundraising Manager Leigh Stewart said that every year the majority of Oxfam Unwrapped purchases of were made in the lead up to the Christmas period.

“With only a month to go until Christmas, Oxfam Unwrapped is now at its busiest time because the festive season is when people often think about giving to others. We find people like supporting our work through Oxfam Unwrapped goats, pigs and chickens as it allows them to make a donation to people less fortunate, while giving a
Christmas gift to a friend or relative at the same time,” Ms Stewart said.

Currently in its fifth year, the advertising for this year’s Oxfam Unwrapped campaign is focusing on charitable giving as something that never goes out of style.

“While trends come and go and many of us no longer use the gifts we received last year, a goat is something that will keep on giving milk and manure to people in Mozambique long into the future,” Ms Stewart said.

You can see the full range of Oxfam Unwrapped Christmas gift ideas online at www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au

The charity also has a range of handmade and fairtrade Christmas Gifts that you can actually stick under your tree at www.oxfamshop.org.au

Source: Oxfam Australia