Yesterday, I was unfortunate enough to have to watch the God-Awful Arnold Schwarzenaegger in a God-Awful film about him trying to get a God-Awful present for his probably God-Awful son. It was a parable of our times. Commercialism, consumerism, and corporate greed – not just in the present but in the eyes of the people who made the God-Awful film.

A few years ago, we might not even have stopped to think that presents don’t actually have to be for the person we’re giving them to. Even if that doesn’t make sense, charity gifts do. Whether it’s buying someone a goat or a buffalo, or even something that will help their lives a little bit easier – you don’t have to spend enormous amounts of money – and your money will go further than it does in the UK. So in the true spirit of Christmas, here is our Top 10 Charity Gifts for you to choose from.

10. A piglet: £7

When 15 year old Paul Nyombi lost both his parents to AIDS he had to fend for himself. Concern gave him two piglets and training on how to care for them. When the pigs produced their first litter there were 12 small piglets in total. Paul was delighted and called the sow ‘Mama’ because she had been so productive.

9. Scholarship for a child: £19

Over 44% of Cambodian children aged 5 to 14 years are working. They face serious health risks – many are abused or exploited. At the drop-in centre in Battambang, working children are safe from harm and can just enjoy being kids for a while. The World Vision drop-in centre is open 5 days a week. This little haven is a place where children can sit down for snack or a meal, get a medical check-up, talk to counsellors who care, sit quietly in the library, or join in with games and sport activities.

8. School books: £8

Help build the school from the ground – with just £8 you can provide school books for children at WorldVision’s Cambodian project.

7. A goat: £20

In Sudan and Bangladesh, a goat can be a lifesaver, providing enough milk to keep the whole family healthy. Goats can also be bred and sold, allowing poor parents to generate the income they need to pay for education and vital medicines for their children.

6. Fermented cow’s urine: £20

I know what you’re thinking (Scroll down on the link – to the left). Are you taking the piss? Haha and all that. But no…

Fermented cow’s urine is a great natural pesticide, but you have to know how to use it! FARM-Africa can teach farmers how to keep their crops free from greedy insects and ensure yields are as high as possible. This gives them the best possible chance of feeding their family.

With FARM-Africa, you can choose how you want your recipient (i.e. YOUR friend) to find out about your gift – online, by e-card, or with a photo gift pack (which costs a tiny bit extra).

5. Bees – £15

Farm Africa’s Farm Friends project is brilliant – Many communities they work with are dependent on the forest around them to survive, but unsustainable practices are damaging the forest and their livelihood. A FARM-Africa beehive and the training that comes with it offer a family alternative, sustainable ways to survive without damaging their environment. The honey harvested is an excellent food source, and can be sold at market and used for medicine too.

4. Chickens – £21

Give an older woman in Angola with health and mobility problems the perfect way to make a living… chickens. Not only do the eggs improve diet and health, but selling the surplus helps her to buy basic items such as medicine, salt and sugar.

3. A football referee – £43

To keep the competing teams in order during the Kick HIV tournament every year in Sierra Leone, a trained referee is essential. The tournament is organised by the Bo Youth Centre, and not only does it provide an exciting competition for young people, it is a great opportunity for peer educators to mingle in the crowd and provide education about HIV and AIDS.

2. Worms – £7

Woah? Worms! You’ve got to be crazy…  hang on…

A wormery will make a big difference to poor, marginalised women in India. By turning waste organic material into rich fertiliser, a wormery helps to turn wasteland into productive soil. With the crops that they tend, the women can feed their families. And any surplus produce can be sold at the market to provide a much-needed additional income.

1. A well – £495

An X-Box, a PS3? Or – would you like to help an entire village. Digging and constructing a 100ft well will make a huge difference to a whole village in rural Kenya. With no clean water nearby, it falls to the women and girls to walk miles to the nearest river – often repeating the journey several times a day. But with a well in the village, the supply of clean fresh water close by means that women can work and contribute to their family’s income.