Last year I baked each of our neighbors a loaf of banana bread. Actually I baked them two each. The dog jumped up and ate the first ones while they were cooling, so I had to start over.

This year, I wanted to do something a little more meaningful. And something that the dog couldn't eat! I thought about making a charitable donation in my neighbors' names. I had done that for one of them on his birthday last year. But then I read a story in the Dallas Morning News today about Mark Bent who created the BoGo.

BoGo stands for Buy One Give One. And a BoGo is a solar powered flashlight that uses highly efficient LEDs to convert sunshine into bright clean light. But the best thing about BoGos are that when you buy one, the company gives one to Africa.

More than a billion and a half people around the world have no electricity. Instead they use lanterns that burn expensive kerosene. The cost of kerosene is often 30% of a family's income. The kerosene provides very poor light, even in a small hut, but it emits lots of noxious pollutants.

So I ordered 3 BoGos and 3 BoGos are winging their way to Africa and changing the lives of 3 families. And my neighbors get a cool looking solar powered flashlight as part of the deal.

I think I met my requirement of a meaningful gift for our neighbors. Now for 2008.....

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive