How Do I Talk About My Holiday in Letters to My Sponsored Child?

So far the British summer is living up to its reputation. I’ve already been caught in an unexpected downpour and then got sunburnt because I took the sun cream out of my bag to make room for a brolly.

Whether you’ll be braving the airport or enjoying a staycation, you may be wondering whether it’s ok to share about your holiday or special trip with your sponsored child.

The answer is yes – absolutely! Like all children, your sponsored child will be curious to learn something new about the country or place you visited.

Back by popular demand, here are our updated top tips for sharing your summer plans.

1) Talk about visiting friends and family

In many of the countries we work in, visiting family or relatives during holidays is common and something your sponsored child will relate to.

In Indonesia, hildren join their parents in visiting relatives during national holidays and festivals. During this time the capital, Jakarta, is empty for a few days as people go to their hometowns to get together and share a meal with their family.

2) Buy a postcard

Sending a postcard of a landscape or building from your trip is a great way to share about a different part of the world with your sponsored child. The children in our programme love receiving pictures and want to know more about their sponsor’s life. When you send in your postcard, don’t forget to write your child’s reference number on the back along with your Compassion reference.

Ten-year-old Hellen and nine-year-old Victor from El Salvador were both delighted to receive postcards from their sponsors. For Hellen, “My sponsor, she is really special, she told me she visited Paris. She sends me cute letters and stickers and I like them.”

3) Share about a new food you tried

Talking about a whole meal may feel insensitive therefore you could talk about a new dish or ingredient you had on holiday. In your letter why not describe the taste or ask if they have a similar dish in your sponsored child’s country.

Friends Dylan and Jesus love meal times at their local church in Ecuador. For Dylan, “My favourite food is rice with chicken and blackberry juice. I like to come eat here because they give me food I like.”

4) Talk about a summer sport

Did you watch Wimbledon? Perhaps you’ve been inspired to pick up your racket and head down to the park.

Whether you’ll be watching or playing, sport is a universal language and a great topic of conversation, especially with older children.

5) Share a highlight

Rather than detailing everything about your holiday, why not share a special highlight. This might be a particular place you visited, a funny incident or simply the enjoyment of having all your friends or family together.

Best friends Michele, Elizabeth, Josephine, Monica, Caroline and Lisa love spending time together at their Compassion project in Kenya.  The girls have formed a close bond as well as a taste for mischief!

6) Talk about a favourite summer activity

Over the summer do you spend time in your garden or in the park? Perhaps you brave a dip in an outdoor pool, a lake or the sea. Your sponsored child would love to know more about life in the UK and what activities you get up to when the sun comes out.

7) Talk about the school holidays

Your sponsored child would love to know more about the lives of UK children. Why not share about the school holidays here? Or tell them what your own children are up to.

Perhaps your church organises a holiday club over the summer. Why not describe some of the activities or ask if your sponsored child is participating in a summer camp as part of their project activities.

8) Send a photo

Why not share a holiday snap with your sponsored child? This could be a group shot of your friends or family, a photo of a landscape or your own village, town or city.

Please keep your sponsored child’s culture in mind when sharing a photo. For example, a beach scene where people are in swimming costumes could be seen as inappropriate.

9) Describe the different seasons

Depending on where your sponsored child lives, they may not experience the same change in seasons as we do in the UK.

Take a moment to describe the change in season from summer to autumn, share your favourite season or the classic, talk about the weather.

10) Send a map or flag

If you don’t feel comfortable writing about your holiday, why not include a map or a flag with some fun facts about the country you visited or the UK. At their Compassion project, children learn about different countries as part of the Compassion curriculum.

Thanks to fun sessions at his Compassion project, 10-year-old Cristofer from Honduras has been learning more about where his sponsor lives.

Is it summertime where your sponsored child lives?

Depending on where your sponsored child lives, they may also be on summer holiday. Why not ask some questions about summer in their country:

• What is your favourite thing to do during the summer?
• Do you go to school during the summer months?
• Is there a sport you like to play during the summer?
• What is your favourite thing to eat when it is hot outside?

Whether you decide to write about your summer holiday or the unpredictable British climate, your sponsored child will be delighted to receive a message from you. It only takes two messages a year to boost your sponsored child esteem so why not write today?