Write a letter
Say hello to your sponsored child today!
Would you like to write a letter to your sponsored child? We would love to help make that happen!
Emailing is a simple way to build a deeper connection with your sponsor child. When you send us an email with your letter and photos attached, we will forward it to our partners in Rwanda who will print it out and personally deliver/read it to your child.
How to send a letter to your sponsor child
We’ve made it easy for you to connect with your sponsored child! Simply log in to your account and send a letter in just a few clicks.
Here’s how:
Log in to your account.
Click on your sponsored child’s profile.
Start a "New Conversation" to write your letter.
Add pictures or files if you'd like!
Once you send your message, our team in Rwanda will print it out and personally deliver or read it to your child. Your words mean the world to them! 
Take a moment today to send some encouragement—your letter can bring joy, hope, and a smile to their face.
Your Words Matter:
A Simple Way to Encourage a Child
We encourage you to write to the student you sponsor to learn more about them and their families. You are welcome to write up to 3 times a year. Your words motivate and encourage the student as they study, learn, and grow. We offer these tips to help guide healthy communication between sponsors and students. You’re welcome to choose a few topics below each time you write. Please keep your letters brief as these students are learning English as a second language.
Our partners will do their best to walk your sponsor child through how to write you a letter in response. Due to the language barrier, letter writing takes extra time, and while we cannot always guarantee a reply, many sponsors do receive responses — just please allow up to 4-6 months for a letter to make its way back to you. However, our goal is to do what we can to help bridge the gap between you and your sponsor child. You can expect updated pictures and information about your sponsor child at least 1-2 times throughout the year.
What should I write about?
- Your family: children, parents, siblings, cousins, etc.
- List their names and ages
- Share age appropriate stories about your family
- Hobbies, activities, or sports you enjoy
- Your own childhood (include some favorite memories or funny stories)
- Your job, or if you’re a student, what you’re learning
- Describe where you live, the climate, interesting facts about your city or state
How can I encourage my sponsored student?
- Tell them you’re thankful for them and explain why
- Let them know you care for them and their future
- Encourage their character by promoting kindness, peace, and love
- Encourage them to live a productive and purposeful life
- Encourage them to serve their communities
- Express your pride in their accomplishments
- Reiterate the importance of education
- Encourage them to invest time into their studies and to do well in school
- Encourage them to respect and honor their elders
As a Christian, how can I share my faith and encourage my sponsored student's faith?
- Talk about your relationship with Jesus
- Remind them that there is hope in Jesus for their future
- Ask if they have prayer requests and share your own
- Remind the student that you pray specifically for them
- Talk about your own faith journey
- Tell them that Jesus cares deeply for them and encourage them to seek Him
- Encourage them to pray and read their Bible everyday
- Share the importance of the church body
- Share Bible verses (include notecards with some of your favorite verses that the student can keep)
What questions should I ask my sponsored student?
- What is your favorite subject in school?
- What are you learning at church and at school?
- What are some of your favorite Bible verses and/or Bible stories?
- What are your prayer requests?
- What do you like to do outside of school (favorite sports or games)?
- What are your parents’/guardians’ and siblings’ names?
- What chores do you have at home?
- What is your favorite food?
- What do you want to do after you complete school?
What should I avoid in my letter?
There are topics that might make the student feel uncomfortable or create unintentional expectations. Please avoid the following:
- Sharing personal contact information (Check AHEC COMMUNICATION POLICIES)
- Do not share your phone number, email, or address. Do not connect with your student via email, phone, or social media platforms. (This helps us protect both you and the students from inappropriate or confusing situations. Students sign an agreement upon registration and can be removed from our program for violating this policy.)
- Asking about the Rwandan Genocide or their ethnicity
- Discussing politics of any kind (U.S., Rwanda, etc.)
- This is an inappropriate topic because it could cause alarm, concern, and discomfort for the student. Sponsored students are from a different culture and context. Because students in our program are minor children or young adults, they do not have a framework for understanding politics, especially in countries outside of Rwanda.
- Making any promises
- Circumstances often change unexpectedly and we do not have control over every aspect of life. Do not make a verbal/written commitment you may not be able to keep (e.g. promising future support, visiting them in the future, paying for their post-secondary education).
- Suggesting they visit you or the United States someday
- In Rwandan culture, this sounds like a promise that you will sponsor them to visit or study in the U.S. We want our students to remain focused on their education and on helping transform their own communities. We do not encourage students to travel to the U.S., nor do we facilitate such visits. If you would like to meet the student you sponsor, please consider joining a Team Trip to Rwanda.
- Elaborating on possessions
- The student needs your educational sponsorship because they live in extreme material poverty; always practice sensitivity by not focusing on material things.
- Using slang or colloquialisms that are difficult to translate or understand
- Describing pets as family members (animals are not viewed with the same level of affection in Rwanda as in the U.S.)
COMMUNICATION POLICIES
Sponsors and students are not allowed to communicate outside of letter writing through Apple of His Eye Charity. Social media, phone, and email communication are strictly prohibited to protect both students and sponsors from inappropriate or confusing situations. Communication outside of these official channels is not permitted. Prohibited communication includes, but is not limited to:
- Friending, following, and messaging on social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, etc.), EVEN IF you did not initiate.
- Communicating via email, phone, Skype, WhatsApp, etc.
- Communication between sponsors and students’ relatives and friends.
If communication outside of official channels is initiated, sponsors should promptly contact the U.S. office and students should promptly inform their Social Worker.. Repeated violations of this policy may result in the conclusion of a sponsorship relationship.
This helps us protect both sponsors and students from inappropriate or confusing situations.
Do not send money to your sponsored student.
AHEC does not give money directly to your sponsored student’s family, nor can we exchange money sent in letters to your sponsored student in Rwanda. This is due to a Rwandan government request and logistical challenges. Donations sent to the U.S. office for a gift for a sponsored student will be designated to items needed by that student.
Thank you for abiding by our policy.
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