Choose a Gift in Action this Easter and help give a new beginning to a family in poverty
Easter wouldn’t be Easter without chocolate egg indulgence, but many of us are inundated with so many eggs from friends and family that they are simply left to be a melted mess.

International development charity ActionAid is offering some unusual and thoughtful alternative presents this Easter that will be a sweeter gift for any friends or family and make a real difference to those living in poverty.

For little more than the cost of a chocolate egg, you could give a Gift In Action, helping to fund projects such as cocoa tree seeds for farmers in Ghana or a chicken breeding programme for poor families in Malawi. The recipient of a Gift In Action will receive an interactive pop out card, illustrating the kind of work your donation might make possible.

With so many across the globe struggling to afford anything to eat this Easter, surprise friends and family with a gift that won’t melt but will have an impact on poverty, now and for the future.

For more information, log onto www.giftsinaction.org.uk or order by phone on 0800 085 8550 Two suggested gifts for Easter include:

Cocoa tree seedlings in Ghana - £8
For generations, families in the rich forests of Brong Ahafo in Ghana have cultivated coca tress, but their way of life is under threat. Low coca prices have meant that local farmers cannot invest in new seedlings or insecticides, so trees are often riddled with disease.

By providing these farmers with disease-resistant seedlings and helping them to get the tools, insecticides and fertilisers necessary, farmers are able to increase their crop and build a thriving livelihood once more.

A chicken breeding programme in Malawi - £10
In Khome village, near Lilongwe the capital of Malawi, families often own a small plot of land but do not have the sufficient tools, seeds or irrigation to be able to grow much-needed food on it. Droughts and floods destroy any meagre crops and families just cannot earn enough for basic necessities, such as medicine, education and food.

By funding a chicken breeding scheme, the families have an alternative livelihood. The eggs produced by the chickens can be eaten and sold at market for income, which can then be used to buy tools and seeds to make their land more productive.