Giving sight as a birthday present
Stories | January 23, 2024
Not many would choose to be as selfless as Esther. When Esther was planning her 30th birthday she made a generous decision that would change the lives of many.
“I have worn glasses for most of my life, my mother has had a cataract, [so] I know how important it is to see clearly,” Esther told her loved ones.
Esther found CBM and their eye health work. She was moved to choose CBM because of its unique experience of working with people with disabilities living in poverty.
“CBM has vast experience developing community-based programs that help millions of people benefit from real, lasting change.”
So as her birthday approached, Esther took action. “I had a big birthday coming up and I didn’t feel like I needed a bunch of gifts. I thought being able to raise funds for people in need was a much better idea,” she says.
She reached out to CBM and set up her own fundraising page.
But it was what Esther did next that made all the difference.
“I posted on social media about my plan to raise funds for people who need cataract surgery. I then invited people to my party. On the invite was a link where they could donate.”
She took her birthday fundraiser and made sure everyone knew about it! What’s more she did this from the comfort of her home. She didn’t need to knock on doors to ask for support – it was her loved ones that felt moved by her passion for CBM’s eye health work that motivated them to give.
And give they did!
In total Esther’s birthday fundraiser raised nearly $1,600 which was then put straight to the field. Almost 50 sight-saving cataract surgeries were completed.
Esther was blown away, “[It was] amazing. [I] never thought I’d raise so much. It was a much better gift than anything anyone would have given me”.
Want to be like Esther?
If Esther’s story has you inspired to take action of your own, you’re in luck!
Whether you want to encourage people to donate for your birthday, hold a morning tea or a bake sale, take part in a fun run or almost any other activity you can think of, CBM has made it easy to unleash your creative fundraising ideas – and get FunRaising! – with all the tools you need.
It’s easy to create a personal fundraising page and ask your family and friends to support your fundraising efforts. Along the way, you can set fundraising goals, track your progress and share the impact donations are having for people with disabilities living in poverty.
Ready to get started? Create your personal fundraising page, reach out to your loved ones and start changing lives today!
(Image and credit: Photo by Marina Lima on Unsplash)
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/giving-sight-as-a-birthday-present