Writing to your Sponsored Child
For many sponsors writing is a wonderful part of sponsorship.
Correspondence gives sponsors the chance to build a friendship, an opportunity to learn about a culture through the eyes of a particular family and also allows them share in their achievements and setbacks.
It also allows you to see the difference that Plan, with your support, is making. But what to talk about? Where to send your letter? How often to write? We know that sponsors have questions, particularly at the start.
This page aims to give some advice about writing by answering some of the most common questions:
How often shall I write?
What should I write about?
Is there anything I should avoid?
Where do I send my letter?
Why can I not write directly to my child?
How long will it take for my letter to arrive?
Why are letters important?
How often shall I write?
We understand how busy life can get, but we hope that from time-to-time you will send a letter or postcard. We recommend that you write up to 3 or 4 times a year which should allow time for you to receive a response between your letters.
What should I write about?
Please keep letters brief and simple, warm and friendly. In many cases, communications need to be translated when they reach our Field Offices overseas so please write clearly.
Remember that writing letters may be unusual in the community where your sponsored child lives.
Greet everyone; in African countries, in particular, greetings are very important.
Asking questions in your letter may make it easier for them to write back. You could ask about their school, their favourite subjects and games, their family or what they want to be when they grow up. They will also be keen to hear about your life, family and daily routines.
But where letter writing is a new experience they may not initially understand that they are being asked to respond. Therefore, if you don’t get answers to your questions first time please be patient and try again in another letter.
The reports and communications that you get throughout the year from Plan provide other subjects for you to talk about; the climate, food, markets, festivals, projects, events in their lives or yours.
Remember, “a picture says a thousand words” so why not send a photograph or postcard, particularly if your sponsored child can not read or write.
Something as simple as an interesting stamp from a foreign country can be fascinating.
Is there anything I should avoid?
Politics; theirs or ours. Likely to be sensitive (and difficult to translate), in more extreme situations where local politics are unstable your comments could actually put the family at risk.
Religion. Again, it is likely to be a sensitive subject where offence is easily caused.
Pets. This subject can cause problems. The concept of pets may not be familiar and animals can have different roles and significance in other religions or cultures.
Avoid being too familiar – while acceptable here it might be inappropriate in the child’s culture. It’s a very fine line, but parents might be offended or concerned by open expressions of affection made towards their children. So we always advise sponsors to err on the side of caution, however close they feel to the child. This helps us to do our best for children and for sponsors who may inadvertently cause offence or concern through actions that could be misconstrued.
If you are sending pictures or photographs, be careful. For example, images of people in bathing costumes or cuddling pets can cause offence.
If you are unsure please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to advise you.
Where do I send my letter?
Once you have written your letter, please:
Ensure that all pages are secured together so that pages can not get separated, mark your sponsor number and sponsored child’s number clearly. This helps us to make sure it gets to them as quickly as possible.
Remember NOT to include your address. Letters can be seen by a large number of different people during customs procedures, translation and delivery to your sponsored child’s community. This measure protects you from any unwanted requests for money or assistance.
Please do not seal your letters or cards in envelopes. This is for two reasons, firstly it reduces the weight and therefore our postage costs. Secondly, we check all letters sent to sponsored children and it is easier for us to do so if correspondence is not sealed in an envelope. Children and families trust Plan not to put their children at risk so we do all that we can to ensure this.
Simply enclose your letter or card in an outer envelope and send it to our usual address:
Plan Ireland
126 Lower Baggot Street
Dublin 2
Email your sponsored child today!
You can now send an email to your sponsored child via letters@plan.ie. All emails and attachments, such as photographs, will be printed off by Plan Ireland staff and sent to your sponsored child as soon as possible. Simple as that!
Why can I not write directly to my child?
There may be very practical reasons why this would be difficult. There may not be any post delivery system, the family may not have a postal address and there are language barriers. Plan staff and community volunteers act as the ‘postmen’ and we have translators to ensure that your letters can be understood and that you can understand theirs. There is also the issue of protection – for you and for the children being sponsored. We do not forward sponsors addresses, from letters or any other communication, to protect you and the children.
Why does it take so long?
Your letter leaves our office in a parcel along with other sponsor’s letters for the same country or Plan field office. They are generally sent monthly in bulk by courier as this is the most cost-effective way. After being cleared by customs the package continues its journey to the Country Office where the letters are translated into your sponsored child's language and sent on to the relevant field office. Plan staff and community volunteers then ensure that the letter is delivered to the family. Reaching some communities involves a long journey by bicycle, boat, foot or donkey! The village may be 50 miles or so from the field office, which can be a day's journey, or more.
Community volunteers deliver the majority of letters. They play a vital role also collecting replies coming back to sponsors from children. They help children and families who cannot write by writing down what the family wants to say. This is why sometimes a family member or the community worker will have written the letter to you. The letter should make it clear who has written it. It then takes the same journey in reverse, so the time span between you writing your letter and receiving a reply can be up to six months. If you haven't heard anything after six months and you are getting concerned, please do let us know and we will look into it.
Why are letters important?
Sponsored children look forward to receiving a letter from their friend overseas – it’s often shown proudly to family and school friends. A letter brings support, encouragement, inspiration so that they work hard at school, practice writing and learn from your news.
