A Different Kind of Christmas Gift
Published December 9, 2025
“When the nights grow long and the cold sets in,” most of us start thinking about Christmas. What Christmas cookies should we bake this year? Or what should we give so-and-so as a Christmas gift?
Let me offer a suggestion that I hope you’ll consider.
I recently had a long conversation on WhatsApp with a friend in The Gambia. I wanted to know how he was doing and what conditions were like for most people. He told me that a great many people are now experiencing hunger and a lack of basic necessities—far more than before. Most people only have enough money for one meal a day. The reasons are shortages of goods, sharply rising prices, and, not least, more extreme weather due to climate change. How about helping them?
You don’t need to have your own “sponsored child” to provide help. All you need to do is deposit money into the account shown on the right, and our leader in The Gambia will ensure that goods are purchased and delivered to families in need.
To give you an idea of what things cost in The Gambia, here are a few examples:
1 sack of rice (50 kg) – 450 NOK
10 liters of cooking oil – 280 NOK
5 liters of cooking oil – 140 NOK
25 kg of potatoes – 185 NOK
25 kg of onions – 185 NOK
5 kg of carrots – 80 NOK
Clothing prices vary widely depending on what you buy, but for 200–300 kroner, a child can get a new outfit. Children’s shoes cost 50–120 kroner.
If you’d like to contribute a larger amount, a mattress to sleep on is high on the wish list. Many children don’t have one.
If you’d like to make a donation, please use this account number:
