Tips on sending post

Dos

• Write short letters or postcards as it keeps our translation costs down.
• Send a photo of yourself or your family. Most non-western cultures are more conservative than ours, so your dress standards should be appropriate to avoid causing any offence.
• If you do want to send a gift it MUST be flat and fit in an A4 envelope. Possible gifts include:
- Colouring pencils
- Colouring books
- Colourful stamps or stickers
- Football cards
- Hair accessories (slides, hair ties, etc.)
• Finally always ensure that your sponsored child’s reference number and name are clearly marked on the back of the outer envelope and send it directly to our national office in the country your sponsored child lives in.

Don’ts

• Please do NOT include your address on the actual letter or postcard. Within very poor communities your address could become a source of unsolicited approaches to you for money, or other requests.
• You may be linked with someone of a very different income, culture and society. It can be damaging to mention amounts of money in any form, or to discuss your personal possessions.
• Please don’t send any large gifts as they may incur customs costs at the field office. Gifts that are too large or heavy will be forwarded by us to Barnados for distribution to needy Irish children.
• Please never send sweets or chocolate – such rich food will make your sponsored child sick and as they frequently will not have a toothbrush, will also lead to tooth decay.
• Please NEVER send money direct to the child you sponsor. Cash in hand doesn’t benefit the child as there may be no shops nearby and they will be unable to exchange Euros for their local currency.
• Please note: World Vision’s work is unconditional in terms of culture, politics or religion. It is very important for World Vision to be sensitive and respect the religious beliefs of others. We are, therefore, unable to process any letters that may contain inappropriate content in these areas.