Posted on July 7th, 2022.

Many people give to charity on a regular basis, because they’d either like to make a difference, have a positive impact on others or just because it makes them feel good about themselves.

But did you know that there are studies that show, giving to charity carries its own health and wellbeing benefits and it also has positive effects on your personal lives?

As there are many proven benefits to giving to charity, scientific research and from other individuals experiences, in this article, we will be covering only the five main points.

1. Giving to charity can improve your self-esteem and self-worth

Donating is a selfless act, so giving to charity will improve your self-esteem and self-worth. By donating money to charity, you will achieve a greater sense of satisfaction and growth as it feels good to help others and provide them with all the essential resources.

The population of Yemen are a great example of people that you could help and provide them with the resources that they need. Saba Relief are a non-profit charity organisation who work very closely with individuals in Yemen who have nowhere to go or anyone to turn to. Individuals who have been displaced, children who are malnourished and families that have had their homes torn down because of the horrible war.

2. Giving to charity will result in greatly boosting your mood

Alongside a great sense of self-esteem and self-worth, giving to charity will also help lower your depression levels and will positively increase your mood tremendously, due to the psychology of generosity.

Studies have shown that giving money to charity has a positive impact on the brain, filling you with happiness and a sense of being grateful. These effects are like when you are giving a loved one a hug. Imagine how it would make you feel to help someone, like a malnourished child in Yemen or by feeding a needy family. Keep this in mind next time you are having a bad day and want to make a difference.

Also, scientifically speaking, the more you give to charity, the happier you will be. In a study conducted by Harbaugh, Mayr and Burghart (2007) neural activity was recorded when participants were given a $100 amount between themselves and a local food bank. The results indicated that whoever gave money to the food bank, experienced activities in the brain similar to receiving pleasure and reward. These results suggest that giving in the act of charity, is inherently rewarding and satisfyingly pleasing.

3. The impact of giving to charity has on others

One person’s charitable donation can positively impact more people’s lives than a giver can ever comprehend. With your donations, charities all around the world are able to provide the needy with things that they may require to get by on a daily basis, like food and clean water.

In Yemen for example, the people are not so fortunate to own the things that most of us do. They can’t get access to clean water, they are unable to get treated for illnesses like cholera, and helpless parents are unable to feed their starving children.

You may think that donating might not make a difference, but small steps can eventually make a tremendous change.

Take this other story of the boy and the starfish.

‘Once upon a time, a man walking along a beach saw a boy picking up starfish and throwing them into the sea.

He asked the boy why he was throwing starfish into the sea.

The boy replied, “The tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll dry up and die.”

The man smiled patronisingly and said, “But, there are miles of beach and thousands of starfish on every mile. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The boy smiled, bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the sea.

“Well,” he said, “I made a difference for that one.”’

This story indicates to us, why helping others and giving to charity can be very valuable.

Therefore, the aid that Saba Relief can do with your donations, can tremendously impact more lives in Yemen than anyone can ever think that it can.

Saba Relief provide emergency aid to those in need in Yemen, by giving them nutritious food, clean water, medical aid and education to children. With your help, we can help the people of Yemen foster a happier and healthier life.

4. Sharing the generosity of giving to charity with your children

Being able to share the generosity of giving to charity with your children or loved ones, can really help you teach young people and children, whether they are your own or others around you, and the importance of caring for one and another, which is an important life lesson.

As we near the blessed month of Ramadan, we need to implement the importance of giving to charity to our children. Explain to them how fortunate they are compared to many children out there, who wish to be in their shoes, who wish to eat a warm, home cooked meal and have clean water to drink.

This will allow our children to prosper in life and become a lot more appreciative to everything, whether it is small or big. It will also teach them to give rather than to just always receive. When children see you donating money, they are much more likely to adopt a giving mindset as they grow up. Tell them when you have donated money to a great cause, let them be part of the experience.

5. Donating and giving to charity can mean many things

You may not be in a position to donate money, but donations come in many other forms, such as, donating unwanted clothes, footwear or even toys. You could also start by donating your time. For example, you could be volunteering, and even sharing the cause with as many people as you possibly can.

This way, you will guarantee that you will be meeting new and like-minded people who care about the same great cause, which will increase your knowledge on everyday affairs, and you’ll feel good about giving back to charity.

Saba Relief have a goal of reducing poverty and suffering faced by the population of Yemen, so when you share this article, a YouTube video, a social media post or even tell others about Saba Relief, then you are allowing us to reach this goal a lot sooner than anticipated.

AHLAM’S STORY:

Take Ahlam’s story as a prime example, she got married at the age of twenty-four and was living her best life with her husband, travelling to a different country every three to four months, eating at very nice restaurants every two to three days a week and buying anything that she had set her heart on.

One day, all of this had changed.

Ahlam’s husband had an interview for a job, with a better salary than his current one, so he decided to go for it, not knowing that this was a blessing in disguise.

A week later, Ahlam announced that she was pregnant, so the couple quickly adjusted to the news and knew that this was a great blessing. Joy filled their hearts and were very happy to know that they were going to be parents. They gave money to charity, had a family gathering and cooked a feast for everyone to enjoy because of this beautiful announcement.

But this good news didn’t last long.

The company that Ahlam and her spouse worked at had gone into administration and they instantly had no jobs and no way of a steady income. It was very bad news following a great one, but they had money in savings, so they were able to provide for themselves until Ahlam’s husband started his new job and got his salary paid.

As weeks went by, Ahlam went to interview after interview, but with no luck of landing a job. The savings amount fell shorter and the couple started facing many obstacles, from the car breaking down, to house repairs that needed to be done and many other things.

Eventually, the couple were unable to live life like they used to. Her husbands’ wages went towards the rent, house bills, groceries and fuel, so Ahlam was unable to even buy the food she was craving for during her pregnancy, as they had a limit to their spending on a monthly basis. This was very hard on both of them, but somehow, they managed to make it through day by day.

As time went by, the struggle continued, but fortunately for Ahlam and her husband, their families were very supportive and helped whenever they were able to. Bringing them food from time to time, buying them essential home appliances or helping with the rent if it fell short.

Baby Amelia was born, and things got better as Ahlam started receiving income from the government to provide for her baby. This was still not enough as her baby’s needs were too many, but she never complained and was still hopeful that her family’s situation will soon get better.

One day, when her daughter reached the age of six months old, her mother needed money and Ahlam only had £60 in her account. Without any thought given to this, she gave her mother £50 and kept £10 knowing very well that she will eventually need that money she gave away. This didn’t worry her too much, as she knew, everything always worked itself out.

The miracle of giving is incredible, because what happens next, is something that no one had expected.

A week later, guests came to Ahlam’s house to congratulate her on the birth of her beautiful baby girl. As they enjoyed their dinner that evening, one of the guests handed Ahlam an envelope with a card in it. In that card, there was a £50 note. Ahlam was full of joy as the money she gave to her mother, came back at the right time.

A week later, she received an additional £100 from other guests who came to visit her later that week. This was very overwhelming for Ahlam, as she never knew that the act of giving, in the form of charity that she did, by giving her mother that £50 when she only had £60 in her account, was going to result in this incredible outcome.

The good news didn’t end there, because two weeks later, Ahlam got a call from a job that she’s been waiting four months to hear back from, to congratulate her on her new position and to start immediately. Even her spouse got promoted receiving an amazing salary with great benefits.

This is the gift of giving, it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s like no other. Knowing that you have made someone else’s life easier, even if it is just for a little while, by putting smiles on vulnerable children’s faces, providing shelter for families or giving food and clean water for the needy, then that’s all that matters.

When Ahlam did this small act of charity out of the goodness of her heart, she never knew that her reward would multiply and bring in more blessings to her life. Therefore, it’s very important to give to charity, so that you can possibly experience what Ahlam and her family had experienced.

CONCLUSION

Now that you know some of the points as to why the act of giving to charity is very important, and you’ve read a real-life story from someone who has actually experienced the beneficial miracle of giving to charity, let us know how you are willing to contribute to help the people of Yemen.

If this article has inspired you, help us reach our vision, to be the catalyst for change in Yemen. To aid and support as many people as humanely possible. Without your support, this would not be possible

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