When I arrive at our meeting point at the ULT Academy today, I notice right away that something is different. The other kids are running around, laughing loudly, and trying to get to the front. I hear someone say, “The letters are here!” and I know why everyone is so excited. It’s always a special day.

I join the others to see what is happening, but I don’t push to the front. Some kids are receiving their first letter today, others already got a few. For me, it would be the first one, and I’m very excited. I just hope there is one for me, too!

Then someone calls my name: “Elizabeth Tina!”
I walk to the front but do not say anything because I’m so happy and excited. I receive my envelope and hold it tight. I don’t want to lose it.

Later, someone from the ULT team reads the letter to me, because it can be difficult to make out different  handwritings. Around us, it’s loud – kids are talking and already showing each other what’s inside their envelopes – but I listen closely.

Our letter campaign shows us every time how much  direct contact means, even when it’s just through words and a small photo. For the children, such a letter means: “Someone is thinking of me. Someone cares about my life.” It gives them confidence, a sense of security, and a feeling of being important – something that’s often missing in their daily lives.

For the sponsors, a letter creates closeness with a child whose everyday life is very different from their own. Through photos, and short stories, they get a sense of how their support is working and how much hope they are giving.

And for us as a team, this campaign is a strong sign that sponsorships are more than financial support. They are relationships. They give children hope and give sponsors clarity about why and how their support matters.

The letter campaign connects these two sides – and makes something visible that often stays hidden: real people, real stories, and a real impact.

My sponsors Jil and Verena write about who they are. They tell me about their two children and what they like to do. They also write about the weather where they live and where they took the photo that was included in the envelope. I don’t know the place, but I try to imagine it. Some words are new to me, but they are explained by my reader.

At the end, I look at the photo of my sponsor family that they attached to the letter. I look at it for a long time – Now I know what they look like. That feels good, because until now, I only knew their names.

Then the team takes photos of me and the other children with our letters. The ULT team will send these pictures to the sponsors. After that, I even get to write back to my sponsor family. So I find a pen, some paper, and a table. What should I write? I thank them for their letter, tell them about my dreams, and wish them all the best.

When I hand in my finished letter, I smile for a moment.
I’m happy that it will soon travel to my sponsor family – just like theirs traveled to me.