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Tips for writing the child you sponsor:

Although we do not require sponsors to write to their sponsored children, we encourage them to do so. Letters are a great way to tell your child, "I'm watching you grow up" or "I'm proud of you" and to let him or her know somebody cares. When your child receives a letter from you, it establishes you as an important person in your child's life. That means your role is to encourage and support your child as he or she grows. Many sponsors support the same child throughout their entire education from preschool through high school. Often children will keep every letter from their sponsor to remind them that someone very special cares about them enough to invest in them with time, prayer and financial support. Never underestimate the positive impact your letter can have on your sponsored child. For some deciding what to write can be somewhat difficult. This is why we offer you the following suggestions for writing the child you sponsor.

1. Make sure to include your sponsored child's full name and most importantly the sponsor number somewhere on the letter or envelope and on any picture you have enclosed. Creole is a phonetic language, therefore a child may have multiple spellings of his or her name.

2. Don't worry about not speaking Creole or French. Your letters will be translated and given to your child. Allow space between lines for a translation to be written. You may write in Creole or French, if you know how. A child will enjoy reading a letter in your own hand.

3. Keep your letter short and simple. Write about something your child will understand. Here are a few suggestions:

Describe your family.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Children love to receive pictures. We have sent you a picture of your sponsored child, send one of yourself or your family back to them.
Discuss your favorite pastime. Explain what you did on your vacation. Talk about hobbies or sports you enjoy.
Describe your work, church or school. Work is especially appropriate topic for an older child.
Explain customs for special holidays.
Provide a general description of the area where you live (no specific address please.)
Talk about your relationship with God and share your prayer requests.
Encourage your sponsored child in any success or milestones he or she has achieved.
You may choose to enclose a small paper gift such as a postcard, greeting card, bookmark, stickers, appropriate photos, and pictures or drawings along with your letter. It is a good practice to label all piece with the child's name and sponsor number.

4. Avoid certain topics. The list above is a good starting point for exploring what you have in common. There are however, a few things that might actually make your sponsored child feel uncomfortable:

Elaborating on your material possessions (for example, the size of your home or the kind of car you drive). This accentuates the differences between you and the child you are helping.
Suggesting that your sponsored child visit the United States.
Using slang words that would be difficult to understand or translate.
Sending your child extra money in your letter. Giving your child extra money puts the staff in an awkward position since every family in Jeannette needs money. There have been problems in the past with children being robbed on the way home from school when people find out they have received extra money from their sponsor.

5. Keep a copy of your letter so that you can send current news next time you write. The Haiti Project does not keep record of who has sent what when.

6. Correspondence between you and your child is not "overnight mail". Letters are mailed to Bernie Cote, N81 W17421 Shady Lane, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051. After we receive your letter, we forward it along with other sponsors' letters to Jeannette. The letters are given to Eloi, St. Marc's School administrator, to be translated and distributed. Depending on the travel dates of work trips going to Jeannette, it may take a few weeks to a few months for correspondence to travel between you and your sponsored child. We ask that you send your letters through the Haiti Project for a couple of reasons:

There is no mail service to the Jeannette community, so your letter is hand delivered to your sponsored child.

To ensure your privacy, we ask that you do not include your address, phone number or e-mail on letters. Return addresses are removed from envelopes.

7. If you're sponsoring a child as a group or as a church, it is best to appoint one person from your group to correspond with your child. The child will be most comfortable corresponding with one consistent person representing your group. Of course your group can construct a composite letter to send your sponsored child, simply have the same person close each letter with his or her personal name before the group name. Sending a group picture often finds a place of honor on the wall.

8. Don't expect a reply. Children love to receive mail, but they may find it very difficult to write a letter. This is especially true for younger children, or children who started late in school. In the learning process, some teachers teach children to copy a text from the chalkboard or use a "fill in the blank" type format to help them develop writing skills. Many children need some assistance in writing a letter. In addition life in Haiti is a matter of survival. Illiteracy is only one issue. School attendance is also a factor. Finding paper to write on is often a problem in some households.

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