Email your sponsored child
When you sponsor a child, you build a special relationship that changes lives. You can connect directly with your sponsored child by writing them heartfelt letters, encouraging them with their school work and inspiring hope for their future.
What to write about in your email:
Introduce yourself! Mention what it's like where you live, how you like to spend your time, and what your hobbies are. If you have children, what are their ages and names; you can also talk about any family pets you have.
It’s a great idea to ask your sponsored child questions in your letter. It lets them know you are interested in their life. You can ask things like: What are your favourite activities or subjects at school? Is your school close by or do you have far to travel? Do you know anything about New Zealand? What do you like to do in your spare time?
It's also a great opportunity to learn more about your sponsored child’s culture. Ask about their favourite holiday and how they celebrate it. What’s their favourite game and how do they play it?
It’s a great idea to ask your sponsored child questions in your letter. It lets them know you are interested in their life. You can ask things like: What are your favourite activities or subjects at school? Is your school close by or do you have far to travel? Do you know anything about New Zealand? What do you like to do in your spare time?
It's also a great opportunity to learn more about your sponsored child’s culture. Ask about their favourite holiday and how they celebrate it. What’s their favourite game and how do they play it?
Note: To be considerate of your sponsored child’s environment and culture there are a few things we recommend you stay clear of. For instance: Avoid topics of religion or politics, as cultural backgrounds can be varied. Consider the circumstances in which your sponsored child lives and avoid writing about material possessions, and never include your address.
Sign in to your My World Vision account and email your sponsored child
FAQs
Child Sponsorship changes children's lives by transforming the community where they live. Using your donations, we identify the causes of children's poverty and vulnerability and create development projects to address them. Child sponsorship pairs one sponsor with one child and allows you to connect through letters and photos.
Through Child Sponsorship, World Vision transforms the lives of your Sponsor Child’s whole community; enabling your child, their family, and their wider community to have access to better healthcare, education, water and economic opportunities.
To change a child’s life, you have to change the world in which they live. Your money does not go directly to your sponsor child, or their family, but enables World Vision to work with their entire community to have an even bigger impact and make long-term sustainable change for everyone. As a member of this community, your Sponsor Child receives the benefits of this incredible change and their own lives are transformed. It’s a pretty incredible change to be a part of!
To change a child’s life, you have to change the world in which they live. Your money does not go directly to your sponsor child, or their family, but enables World Vision to work with their entire community to have an even bigger impact and make long-term sustainable change for everyone. As a member of this community, your Sponsor Child receives the benefits of this incredible change and their own lives are transformed. It’s a pretty incredible change to be a part of!
In most cases, it will be throughout their childhood and into their teens. Many children remain in the sponsorship programme for the duration of World Vision's work in their community. In this way, you could follow their journey into young adulthood.
In some cases, children leave the sponsorship programme unexpectedly. For example, the child's family may move away from the area World Vision is working in. If this happens with your sponsored child, we will let you know as soon as possible and offer you sponsorship of another child.
Most children will be in the sponsorship programme until their community has begun to reach most of its goals, and become self-sustainable. As a project comes to a close we will let you know of the achievements in the community so you can celebrate with us, and we’ll offer you another child to sponsor so the development process can begin again in another community.
In some cases, children leave the sponsorship programme unexpectedly. For example, the child's family may move away from the area World Vision is working in. If this happens with your sponsored child, we will let you know as soon as possible and offer you sponsorship of another child.
Most children will be in the sponsorship programme until their community has begun to reach most of its goals, and become self-sustainable. As a project comes to a close we will let you know of the achievements in the community so you can celebrate with us, and we’ll offer you another child to sponsor so the development process can begin again in another community.
You can write to your Sponsored Child as often as you like. Please note that due to postal restrictions processing time can take a lot longer, and we will only be able to process replies from your Sponsored Child every three to four months.
When you sponsor a child, you build a special relationship that encourages your child with hope for the future. Your donations join forces with other sponsors to lift your child, their community, and other vulnerable children out of poverty for good. Your support helps pursue the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of vulnerable children.
Yes, sponsored children enjoy responding to your letters. There can be delays of 2-5 months to hear back. You can stay updated and track the progress of your letter and the reply through your My World Vision account.
If you don’t receive a reply after three months, please contact us on 0800 800 776 or email us at email@worldvision.org.nz and we will follow it up.
If you don’t receive a reply after three months, please contact us on 0800 800 776 or email us at email@worldvision.org.nz and we will follow it up.
Yes, to protect our Sponsored Children, our policy is to open, log and vet (and translate) all letters and emails to ensure they don’t contain offensive or inappropriate content. Child protection is our highest priority.
Absolutely. Encouraging your children to write all or part of your message is a great way to teach them about the world, and issues of development and poverty. Your Sponsored Child would love to hear from children just like them, who live on the other side of the world.
While we understand you want to write a heartfelt message to your Sponsored Child, there are a few things we recommend you stay clear of. For instance:
- Avoid topics of religion or politics, as cultural backgrounds can be varied.
- Consider the circumstances in which your sponsored child lives and avoid writing about material possessions.
- Never write your address.