| Corresponding
with Your Sister
In order to ensure that your letters can be delivered to your sister,
we ask that you include the following information at the top of each letter:
• Your sister’s full name
• The name of your sister’s women group
• Your sister’s country
• Your sponsor ID number
• Your full name
All
of this information can be found at the top of the “Meet Your Sponsored
Sister” letter included in your Sponsorship Welcome Kit. If you
have misplaced this information, please feel free to contact us by phone
at (202) 747-7705 or by email at 
Please also keep in mind:
• Do NOT include your address, phone number or e-mail address in
your letter in order to protect your privacy.
• In an effort to help our translators, please send only one letter
per month.
Click
here to see common phrases you can use to write to your sister in her
native language.
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Sending Your Letters
You can send your letter to your sister by mail or by email. If you choose
to email your letters, it is necessary that the required information is
included somewhere in the body of your letter, not just in the subject
line. This will help ensure a more timely delivery of letters to your
sister. Emailed letters can be sent as attachments or in the body of the
email. Digital photos are acceptable as well.
Please
email your letters to or mail them to:
Women for Women International
4455 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20008
You may reach us by phone at 202.737.7705
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Letter
Content
Often, sponsors contact us to ask what they should write to their sister
in their first letter. The best types of letters are the ones that tell
your sister something about yourself and your life. You can write about
your family, where you live, where you work or what you do in your free
time. Any specific cultural information is also interesting to your sister.
You can tell her about any significant traditions your family follows
or about certain foods you eat or make for special occasions, or are special
in your family. Participants also enjoy receiving pictures of their sponsors
and their families. Feel free to ask about your sister’s daily life,
her family and where she lives. You can also ask your sister about what
she is learning in Women for Women International’s programs and
what topics she enjoys.
Please
do be sensitive to cultural differences, particularly as your sponsored
sister may have suffered persecution because of her class, race, gender,
or ethnicity. One of the best parts of the Sponsorship Program is learning
about these differences and teaching others to respect them. If your sister
is a survivor of conflict, please do not ask about the atrocities committed
against her and her family. As time goes on, she may disclose these things
to you if she feels comfortable sharing. Please be sensitive to your sister’s
background and the variety of experiences she may have had.
Due
to the time it takes to translate the letters and distribute them, there
may be times where letters cross in the mail, and it may take time for
your sister to answer your questions and receive your letters. Our staff
does its best to ensure the timely delivery of letters to you and to your
sister. If you would like more information about how letters get from
you to your sister, please see the “Path of a Letter” section
below.
As
our office works many hours to accommodate our ever-increasing number
of sponsors and participants, we currently do not have the resources to
dedicate to thoroughly screening all of the letters that pass through
our office. This also means that, while our translators overseas take
great care in providing our sponsors with accurate English representations
of their sisters’ letters, there is the possibility that some letter
topics may be unsuitable. In the rare case that you do come across any
letters that you deem inappropriate, please understand that this is unintentional.
Also, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns
at (202) 737-7705 or
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Sending
Gifts
We understand that many sponsors want to share above and beyond the sponsorship
funds and letters they send each month. However, due to customs duties
and the high cost of overseas shipping, there is a limit to what you can
send. Feel free to send any of the following flat, paper items:
• Photos: Send your sister photos of you and your family, your house, your town, a holiday tradition, or another special moment in your life. Please limit your photos to two per letter.
• Postcards: A postcard from a recent vacation or even your hometown can give your sister a great idea of where you live.
• Greeting cards: You can send a greeting card to your sister in place of a letter to convey your sentiments.
• Drawings: Share your children's creativity and get them involved too! One 8 by 11 inch or smaller picture per letter please.
• Maps: An 8 by 11 inch or smaller map of your hometown, state, or country. Please check to make sure your address is not on the map.
• Stationery: Send 5-10 sheets of small stationary or note cards that your sister can use to write you. Envelopes aren't necessary, since all mail goes through our offices.
If
you do send any of the above items, please label them with your sister’s
full name, woman group and country to ensure delivery to her. Please attach
the gift securely to your letter and make sure your letter is also clearly
marked with your sister’s full name, woman group and country.
Please
DO NOT send jewelry of any kind, books of any kind, clothing
or pieces of cloth, hand-knitted small items, cosmetics, seeds, food or
candy, toys or any other non-paper, non-flat items. They will not be sent
to your sister or returned to you. We will donate all undeliverable items to local women's charities.
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Path
of a Letter
Many times sponsors ask us how letters get from themselves to their sisters
overseas, since many women live in rural areas, or in areas where infrastructure
has not been completely rebuilt. Although it may take up to 8
or more weeks for the entire letter exchanging process, we assure
every sponsor and participant that their letters will reach their final
destination, provided all information is provided. The following details
what goes into the letter exchange process, and explains why it can sometimes
feel like it takes forever for a letter to be delivered.
Step
1: Jane, a new sponsor, receives information about her sister
in the mail. After reading a little bit about her sister Rose, Jane decides
to write a letter.
Step
2: Women for Women International receives Jane’s letter
by mail, and it is entered into our database so it can be tracked. It
is then sent to the appropriate country office in a DHL package twice
a month, with other sponsors’ letters.
Step
3: Jane’s letter arrives at the correct Women for Women
International Country Office. Jane’s letter is either given to a
translator to translate her letter into Rose’s language, or Jane’s
letter is kept at the office for when her sister arrives for her regular
meeting.
Step
4: Jane’s translated letter is either given directly to
Rose to read, or Jane’s letter is read to her sister before/after
her regular meeting if Rose is illiterate.
Step
5: Ideally, Rose writes a letter back to Jane. Sometimes participants
will bring letters home with them and take some time to respond to a letter.
Other times participants are so excited that they will write a letter
before leaving the office. Many times participants will have friends or
family members help them write a letter if they are unable to write themselves,
or they will dictate their letter to a Women for Women International staff
member.
Please
remember that some women in our programs may have circumstances that make
it difficult to write, and may not feel comfortable writing immediately.
However, we encourage you to continue writing letters, as they do give
your sister emotional support and give her the knowledge that someone
is supporting her efforts to rebuild her life and create change for herself
and for her family.
Step
6: Rose gives her letter for Jane to the Women for Women International
Country Office to have her letter translated into English, if necessary.
Step
7: Once a month, Women for Women International Country Offices
send DHL packages of participants’ translated letters to the DC
office. The staff then enters Rose’s letter into the database for
tracking purposes and files it for the monthly mailing.
Step
8: Once a month, Women for Women International staff and volunteers
participate in the Monthly Sponsorship Mailing. Here, Rose’s letter
gets put into a labeled envelope for Jane, and is mailed out along with
thousands of other letters from participants to sponsors.
Step
9: After writing her first letter, Jane receives Rose’s
letter in the mail. When Jane responds, the process begins again.
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