You may think of us as bah humbug after reading this blog post title. Stay with me here, while I explain.
Deflated
As RNW approaches, talk on forums and social media turn to the discounts and wondering what retailers will be offering. There were some posts on forums last year being negative about how the discounts were not good enough. It made me feel a bit deflated.
This whole discount frenzy seemed to be overshadowing the real reason why Real Nappy Week started 18 years ago. It's about sharing and encouraging other parents to use cloth nappies. It's about lots of nappy mad people, whether that be mums, dads, nappy libraries, bloggers, retailers and brands making as much noise as possible about why reusable nappies are the best option for babies, the environment and bank balances.
Discounts
We have offered discounts in past years. Now as April approaches, we prepare ourselves for a quiet month sales wise (apart from one crazy week) and an increase in emails and posts asking us if we are doing RNW discounts. No disrespect to those who have asked us, it's completely understandable.
So after a day of mulling all this over, I happened to come across a rare hour of peace at home. I grabbed my favourite magazine Grazia, a cup of tea and a slice (or three) or my favourite Madeira cake and melted into the sofa. Not long into this heavenly hour, I opened this page.
It jolted me.
'Will you give these children a future?' shouted the headline.
There was a full-page image of a little innocent girl.
Working on a rubbish tip.
It jolted me because everything we do at Baba+Boo is to get less to rubbish tips and landfill and there was this little girl working on one, trying to make money for her family.
Street Child
I read about the fantastic charity called Street Child.
I decided right there that Baba+Boo will not be doing any RNW discounts and instead give 15% of all sales for the week to them. The government are matching any donations they receive up until June 17th. These are the ways Street Child spend these donations.
£25 is enough for a business grant and training that will help permanently lift a family out of poverty.
£25 could also pay for a social worker to help a child to mend a family relationship.
Just £7.50 is enough to pay a village teacher for a month, who can help hundreds of children gain an education.
£1000 allows Street Child to help a rural community build a ‘first-ever’ basic school.
£10 is enough to help an illiterate teenage girl to learn to read and write.
Building a future
This Real Nappy Week, we would love to get fewer nappies sent to rubbish tips, that goes without saying.
But we would also love to get that little girl and lots of others out of them.
And into a school.
We would love to be able to get enough to build a school with the help of the government matching our donations.
If you are thinking of using cloth nappies and decide to choose Baba+Boo, you'll not only be choosing the best option for our environment and your baby. You'll be helping children get off the streets in war-torn countries.
Eve and the team x
Please take a look at Street Child's website to see more of the fantastic work they do - www.street-child.co.uk