Christians believe Christmas to be a day when love came down to humankind—a day that marks the birth of the son of God and saviour, Jesus Christ.

Many celebrate this day with family and friends; eating, drinking and going about the many festivities. Much as this is a great way to celebrate, some do consider engaging in acts of giving and compassion, especially to those in need, as one of the other ways of celebrating.

This is the conviction that Pascal Ntaganda, a Christian presenter at Authentic TV holds. 

He believes for Christmas to be a time for sharing love, joy and getting, but also knows that it can be tough for many people, including those who are hungry, homeless, lonely and struggling to make ends meet. 

Through his campaign, Christ’s Mass Love’ he seeks to reach out and spread love and support to needy families.

Christmas is about the love of God for the world. Christ was given and to Christ we give. We give back as well through our kind acts and choosing to love one another, he says.

"We can choose to house, feed and clothe those who are in need. This is the idea and inspiration behind the event. We need to share and make it more of an intimate gathering and not only a donation event. We wish to share with others; we shall cook and eat together, share stories and our burdens so that no one feels burdened alone. All of us have challenges, sharing them is the only way we support each other and understand that we are not alone,” Ntaganda says.

The campaign kicked off on December 1 and will be closing on December 31. The target is supporting over 10 families; support from any well-wisher is highly welcome.

"We are calling upon companies, individuals to partner with us. We would like to have as many partners as we can. My greatest wish is to collect enough funds that will cater for school fees for children from these families. The more we have people on board, the more we can support additional families.” Food, clothes, and money, among others are some of the items that will be donated.

The campaign organisers have partnered with organisations such as Graceland, a fashion house, where a percentage of its sales will be donated towards the event.

"We shall share, dance and have fun together, share the word and pray together of course considering directives in line with prevention of Covid-19. This is a big deal in terms of message—for what Jesus came to do in this world, is the same thing we should do every day, love others whether they are believers or not.”

Tessy Ketia says such an event is an opportunity to show and advocate for love towards those who mostly feel unrecognised by society.

"But most importantly, it’s about being able to put smiles on them, on a special day or may be even beyond it, as God permits. I personally believe there is nothing better than this (love),” she says.

Ways to give back this Christmas

There are many families in dire need of help. Christmas being the season of love, it’s inevitable to reach out and offer support in any way you can. Here are some of the ways you can help;

Donate

Make donations if you are in position to. You can donate money, give food or clothing, or even offer shelter to those in need.

Give gifts 

Gift giving is one of the revered acts for Christmas. Put a smile on the faces of your family and friends by sending them gifts. This will add merry to the festivities but will also strengthen your bond with those you love.

Spend time with the needy 

These can be families or organisations. You can choose to make time for the sick and share meals with them for example. Or, you can go visit a home for needy children—giving back in form of our time can also be as refreshing and one of the best ways we can show how we care about others.

Reach out to Christ’s Mass Love campaign through christianway3@gmail.com or 0781441848