# Charity goats are 'this year's must-have present' says Guardian

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2004/12/23/charity-goats-are-039this-year039s-musthave-present039-says-guardian/
- Published: 2004-12-23T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Guardian today gives front page coverage to Oxfam Unwrapped’s goat, which 
it says is “this year’s must-have present’ for Christmas.**

The goat is one of the items on sale in Oxfam Unwrapped, the charity’s ‘alternative’
gift catalogue, launched a few months ago. Supporters can buy a friend or family
member a practical gift such as a goat which then gets delivered to a family in 
a developing country. The present’s original ‘recipient’ gets a thank-you card from
Oxfam and, presumably, a warm feeling.

The Guardian reports that Oxfam has sold over 30,000 goat gifts this year. Other
charities who have set up similar catalogues have also enjoyed success: Cafod, for
example, has sold 13,000 of the £25 goats. Overall the charity has raised nearly
£800,000 from its Christmas gifts this year.

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In its leader today, The Guardian welcomes this more traditional approach to giving
at Christmas, although it does note that the other top-selling gift this year is
the less selfless Apple iPod. “While the gift of an iPod allows its wearers to solipsistically
cut themselves off, the gift of a goat to Africa is the precise opposite: its entire
utility lies in giving something to the rest of the world: less of the Christmas“
bah, humbug,” more of the “baa”.

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