In February, most people only celebrate Valentine's Day, and it makes sense. It's the most popular and well-known holiday of the month. But there's another special day that also exists: Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Every year, on February 17th, this holiday draws more and more attention, mainly because it inspires people to do good in the world. On this day, you get a chance to do a random act of kindness for family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, students, or even strangers.
And the best part is that doing something nice doesn't just give the receiver joy. It also gives you joy. When you do something generous, it brings you and the recipient indescribable happiness.
That's why the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is committed to encouraging spontaneous acts of kindness. Its dedication to this goal has even made it an internationally recognized organization, with people around the world excited to spread positivity and light on February 17th.
However, if you're unsure how to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day, it's okay. Thinking of ways to delight and surprise people isn't easy, but at Khutsala Artisans, we do this every day of the year, which is why we have tips on how to do a random act of kindness successfully.
At Khutsala Artisans, spreading kindness is a lifestyle. Specifically, we spread light and positivity by supporting Heart for Africa, a faith-based humanitarian organization that provides HOPE in Eswatini. Khutsala Artisans is a Heart for Africa initiative and 100% of our profits goes directly back to support their mission of hope.
This African country is home to over 1.1 million Swazis—but despite its small population, Eswatini battles significant issues. Heart for Africa wants to help reduce the hurt and suffering that Swazis experience by giving HOPE to every person in the country.
But if you're wondering what HOPE looks like and why we give all our profits to help Heart for Africa spread it, here's a breakdown of what each letter in HOPE stands for.
In Eswatini, Swazis are a lower-middle-income population, making it extremely difficult to afford food. On top of that, other factors play a role in the country's hunger crisis.
Inadequate supply chains and post-harvest loss are real issues for Swazis. Most of them depend on subsistence farming, but farmers usually lose 30 percent of their harvest, and poor supply chains increase their losses.
Erratic rainfall and frequent droughts are also challenges that lead to hunger in Eswatini. And the HIV/AIDS crisis is another major contributing factor. Around 27.3 percent of the country's adult population has HIV/AIDS. Many of these men and women die because they don't have adequate healthcare, forcing them to leave behind children who can't access food.
However, our profits at Khutsala Artisans helps Heart for Africa provide food to orphans and vulnerable children. With our assistance—and that of many others—Heart for Africa has the ability to give children nourishing meals three times a day so that they don't go hungry or become malnourished.
The orphan crisis in Eswatini is ongoing. Around 45,000 Swazi kids from ages 0-17 have become orphans because their parents or caretakers died from HIV/AIDS. Even worse, 38 percent of Eswatini's population is under the age of 15, with only five percent being 60 years old or over.
Additionally, poverty plays a significant role in the number of orphans living in Eswatini. Because people don't have the financial resources to sustain themselves, they can't take care of their children, and that reality convinces them to abandon their kids.
Thankfully, Heart for Africa welcomes orphans and vulnerable children into its family. The organization has children's homes for boys and girls, and our profits help financially support them. With the money from our sales, Heart for Africa gets another revenue source to help pay for their kids' food, clothes, medical care, school, toys, books, and around-the-clock love and care.
Have you ever lived on less than US$1.90 per day? If not, you're making more money than 58.9 percent of the rural population in Eswatini.
More than half of the country's people live below the national poverty line, primarily due to unemployment. Studies indicate that in 2019, Eswatini's unemployment rate was as high as 26.5 percent.
Typically, Swazis try to make ends meet by farming, but it's an unreliable source of income. And because many Swazis can't afford to go to school, they don't have the skills to secure the few jobs available in Eswatini.
But helping provide a good education is another reason we give our profits to Heart for Africa. If the kids at its children's homes can afford to go to school, they'll have an easier time securing high-paying jobs.
However, until that time comes, we also show kindness by hiring Swazi artisans to hand-make our home decor and jewelry. We want to empower Swazi men and women by giving them a path to provide for themselves and their families, and that's only possible with a job, which we readily offer at Khutsala Artisans.
While primary education is free in Eswatini, secondary schools are not. Many parents can't afford to send their kids to this next level of education, and even when they can, the schools aren't well-funded.
Most of the educational institutions in Eswatini don't get enough government assistance, and teachers can't depend on parents to consistently pay for their children's schooling. These two issues lead to schools that can't afford librarians, cooks, secretaries, or even electricity. Sometimes, things are so bad that teachers avoid fixing a broken window to pay for resources that fulfill their students' educational needs.
Obviously, these conditions don't make for a healthy and fruitful education. Swazi children can't learn in an environment that doesn't have the basic necessities to contribute to their growth, which is why our team at Khutsala Artisans is helping provide better education to kids in Eswatini.
By giving our profits to Heart for Africa, we become another source of funds that allows the organization to pay for its kids' schooling at Project Canaan Academy. This institution is one that Heart for Africa created. It has terrific Swazi teachers who are equipped with great classrooms, books, resources, and supplies for their students.
Even though we spread kindness every day at Khutsala Artisans, that doesn't mean we don't want to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day. In fact, we want to celebrate it with you.
We'd love for you to honor this holiday by helping us spread HOPE to Swazi men, women, and children in Eswatini. All you have to do is purchase our new Hope Keychain that comes with a Heart for Africa charm.
Hand-beaded by Swazi artisans, this keychain is available in vibrant red but also includes a beautiful blue SwaziMUD bead to make the piece stand out. It's an excellent gift for men and women. Offering it to someone special for Random Acts of Kindness Day will quickly bring a smile to the person’s face.
But the best part is that it’ll help spread kindness to Swazis in Eswatini who need HOPE the most. Your purchase will be the light that helps them stay encouraged and uplifted, despite their difficult challenges.
Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day by purchasing the HOPE Keychain for someone special.
