Sending gifts and letters

1. Addressing and sending letters and parcels
2. Sending small gifts to your sponsored children.
3. Can I send a cash gift to my sponsor child?
4. What sort of gifts can I send to my sponsor child?
5. How often should I send gifts?
6. When should I send letters and gifts?
7. Will I receive letters from my child?
8. How long does it take to get a reply?

Questions and Answers in Full...

1. Addressing and sending letters and parcels

   Send your letters and gifts to:
   

   Plan, GPO Box 2818, Melbourne VIC 3001

   Please include your child's Identification Number and your Plan Number on each item to ensure that mail is addressed safely to your sponsored child.
   

   Please do not include your address in your letter ,on the envelope or wrap your gifts as they may need to be opened for child protection and customs purposes.

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2. Sending small gifts to your sponsored children.

   By being a child sponsor, you not only support children and their communities in the developing world, you can also have meaningful communication with your sponsored child developing mutual cross-cultural understanding.
   
   Communicating with your sponsored child also keeps you in closer touch with their progress and that of their whole community. At special times of the year you may wish to send a small gift, card or letter to your sponsored child and their family.
   
   When sending gifts we ask that you to take the following into consideration:
   

   • It is useful to do some research before writing your first letter: you can  read about your child and their community in your Family Profile and search the Plan website for more information on their country.
     
     
   • Please be mindful of customs regulations, shipping, handling and our commitment to keeping costs to a minimum. Do not send gifts that are heavier than 150 grams or value not more than $20.
     
     
   • Plan cannot guarantee gifts will reach your sponsored child as customs in Australia and in overseas countries may have different regulations and policies. However we take every precaution to ensure your gifts and letters arrive safely at the Plan Country Office and are then delivered to your sponsored child.
     

   ** In the event of the cancellation of a child from Plan’s sponsorship program, the Country Office will endeavour to deliver any gifts recently received from the former sponsor.  If this is not possible these gifts will be donated to a children’s institution, such as a hospital or orphanage or used in children’s events organised by Plan staff. 
   
   

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3. Can I send a cash gift to my sponsor child?

   Plan has a policy of no cash gifts as this has proven to cause disharmony and problems within the family and community and may place children or their families at risk. Other gifts that cannot be sent are:
   

   •       Food

   •       Perishable and battery operated items

   •       Medicines and vitamins

   •       Jewellery

   •       Cosmetics

   •       Sharp and dangerous items

   •       Toy guns, knives, scissors

   •       Disposable cameras

   •       Religious information and icons

   
   The above items will be returned to you.
   
   

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4. What sort of gifts can I send to my sponsor child?

   Please be aware that not all children in Plan assisted communities have a sponsor, and even some children who are sponsored do not receive gifts. Please consider sending a gift that can easily be shared with friends and siblings.
   

   Small gift suggestions:

   • School supplies – pens, pencils, exercise books, erasers
   • Stickers
   • Soft covered picture books and jigsaw puzzles
   • Hair accessories
   • Handkerchief
   • T-shirt
   • Soccer ball – flattened. Please provide pump.
   • Photographs of you and your family – they are likely to be prized possessions!
   • Information on Australia – posters, postcards etc
     
     
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5. How often should I send gifts?

   Plan suggests that you send gifts no more than twice a year. This will allow adequate time to deliver your gift and ensure you receive acknowledgement for the gift before you send another.

   As your sponsored child is an ambassador to their community, receiving too many gifts – particularly gifts which cannot be shared with other children – might cause community friction.

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6. When should I send letters and gifts?

   Please wait for eight weeks from commencement of your sponsorship before writing your first letter or sending a gift, as it takes this long for your child to become aware of you as their sponsor. A birthday or a Christmas card, if culturally appropriate, should be sent three months prior to the occasion. One or two letters a year in addition to this is ideal.

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7. Will I receive letters from my child?

   Older children who are literate may write a letter or a note, while children who are too young to write and those who cannot write may receive help from their family or a Plan program staff member who will identify themselves in the letter. Children may send drawings and craft work to accompany their letters. You will receive the original letter and a translation.

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8. How long does it take to get a reply?

   It will take approximately 16 -24 weeks. When you send a letter or gift to our office we process and send it with others to the same field office. On arrival at the field office your parcel is sorted and correspondence is translated into the local language before being delivered to your sponsored child.
   
   The same process is repeated when your sponsored child writes to you. Naturally all of this takes time, as in many areas mail services do not exist. The remoteness of some villages is breathtaking! Roads can be impassable in the wet and in some instances the only way into remote areas is by foot, donkey or canoe.
   
   This may also be the first time your child has received or written a letter, so your patience in regard to receiving mail from your sponsored child will be much appreciated. If you have not received correspondence in six to seven months from the time you write, please contact Plan and we will follow up with the respective field office.

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