Letter writing tips
Guidance to help you write a message to the child you sponsor.
Letter writing tips
Guidance to help you write a message to the child you sponsor.
Writing to the child you sponsor is a great way to get to know them and build a friendship. From activities you like to do in your spare time, to traditional foods from your country, there is so much for you to talk about.
Explore conversation prompts, questions you can ask, and the dos and don’ts of letter writing to help you get started. Your friendship begins here.
Start a conversation
Start a conversation
Asking questions lets the child you sponsor know that you are interested in their life. You can ask about school and encourage them to reply by asking about things they are good at.
Just as you are interested to know about the child you sponsor, they’ll be interested to learn about you. Share stories about yourself – tell them about the city you live in or what you like to do at the weekend.
You could tell them about:
- Your family
- Your country
- Your friends
- Your pets
- The things you love to do in your spare time
- Your favourite sports
- Your favourite food and a traditional recipe from your country
- Your country's traditions, celebrations and festivals
- Any fun or inspirational stories
You could ask about:
- Their family and friends
- The games they like to play
- Their favourite toy
- Their favourite subject or teacher at school
- What they like to do in their free time
- What their dreams are for the future
- Their favourite animal
- Their favourite food
- What they celebrate in their country and how (e.g. festivals, national holidays)
“Thanks to Plan International, I met a Japanese friend. We’ve been writing letters to each other for six years. I am happy about this.”
Larissa, 13, Burkina Faso, speaking about the friendship she has built up with her sponsor through Plan International's sponsorship programme.
“Thanks to Plan International, I met a Japanese friend. We’ve been writing letters to each other for six years. I am happy about this,” says Larissa, 13, Burkina Faso, who is part of Plan International's sponsorship programme.
Dos
- Keep your letter clear and understandable.
- If you have them, include photos or scanned images of drawings - they can really bring your letter to life.
- Be patient. It will take some time for a reply to land in your mailbox. The journey of a letter from a remote village in a faraway country can be a real adventure!
Don'ts
- We recommend avoiding discussing religion, politics, beliefs and sensitive topics, which could inadvertently cause offence or misunderstanding to the local culture and traditions of the child you sponsor.
- Please do not enclose any address or contact details in your message. All communications exchanged between Plan International UK sponsors and the children they sponsor must be facilitated through Plan International UK for safeguarding reasons. We thank you for your co-operation.
Ready to send a letter?
Head to our online postbox to write a message to the child you sponsor.
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