COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR SPONSORED STUDENT(S)

• You will receive an ‘All about me letter’, Christmas note, thank you notes, and a student progress report throughout the course of the year.

• You may also receive other correspondence from time to time.  Students are more likely to send a personal note if they first receive a note or letter from their sponsors.

 All correspondence, whether from sponsor or student, must be filtered through NLF for your safety, security and accountability purposes.  Please do not include your personal address in any letter and we will insure that no child will come across your address in from our system. The following is a list of guidelines regarding correspondence:

1.      All correspondence and gifts to and from the student, even correspondence from the parent or guardian, will be filtered through our Student Sponsorship Program (SSP). This will deter children, relatives and guardians from asking for money or gifts from our sponsors.  Parents and guardians of our students are well aware that asking for gifts and money is strictly prohibited.

2.      Letters or free-will gift's) from you will be given to your sponsored child, and he/she will write you a thank you letter with a checklist of the gift you sent them.  We will confirm that the child has received everything you send them through their letters.

3.      We do assist smaller children in writing correspondence, but we ensure that they at least sign their names or draw a picture.  Though written by an older person, the student dictates the general contents of the letter.

4.      All correspondence and gifts (not sponsorship checks) must be sent to the NLF Tanzania address listed on the front cover, and must never be sent to the sponsored child’s home address.  Our staff will put your address on file, ensuring that it is not passed on to the sponsored child’s parent or guardian.  If the parent/guardian does receive your address, please do not communicate directly with them.  This will help ensure, for both parties, that the relationship is not abused in any way. We realize that child sponsorship requires a significant financial sacrifice.  Therefore, we are diligent in ensuring that students do not test your generosity and take you for granted.  While we are proactive in ensuring that this does not occur, from time to time some students still attempt to request money or gifts.  Please inform us directly if this should occur and we will address the situation immediately.

5.      If you would like to send birthday gift money, Easter, or Christmas gifts to your child, we will make sure that all of the money goes to your child, unless you give them permission to share their gift with another child at NLF.  We will take a picture of the gift the child has chosen and send it to you with a thank you letter from the child.

6.      When sending a parcel, please do not attach the value of the item.  Simply write:  “DONATED GIFTS:  OF NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”.  Please send the letter separately, listing the items you have sent, indicating that it is a donation.  This will help ensure that the parcels are exempt from customs and duty fees.

7.      In some instances, the sponsor may feel compelled to send a gift to all of the students.  In the event of this, sponsors should indicate their preferences, or otherwise leave the choice of gift to our discretion.  In the past, we have had the pleasure of blessing our all of our students with bedding, a television set, and other wonderful items.

Topics you may include in your correspondence:

• Your home:  Descriptions of the area in which you live.  For example:  Do you live in a rural area or in a big city; do you live on a farm and do you have pets.

• Details about your family and friends.
• Information about the church you attend, holidays you have been on, cultural influences and customs you enjoy.
• Students also like to hear about your hobbies and interests, things you and your family may have done, and facts, such as local or national history.
• Encourage your child with a scripture verse, or tell them about a biblical hero you may have.  You could also list some prayer requests, as students at NLF are very faithful in prayer.
• Any comments or information you think will be of benefit to your friendship.

While there are many things you can include in your letters, it is important to exercise care in listing certain details.  For example, please do not over emphasize your wealth, or your country’s high standard of living. This can create a feeling of dissatisfaction with your sponsored child’s circumstances and yearning for the child to come to the United States or elsewhere to share in a perceived idyllic lifestyle. Tanzania needs the talents of these bright children to contribute to a better future for all its citizens.

Also, in Tanzania it is culturally inappropriate to mention that you have a boyfriend or girlfriend.  There is no word in Kiswahili to describe the concept of having a boyfriend/girlfriend, so it is best to simply use the term “friend”.

We really appreciate your understanding of this matter.  If you require further clarification, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Gifts you can send your child:

• Books:  Bibles, coloring books, devotional books, storybooks, etc.

• Toys, games and activities:  Water color pads, stickers, crayons, small musical instruments, normal and colored pencils, balls, water color paint and brushes, toy cars, hobby cards, board games, etc.
• Clothing:  Shirts, shorts, T-shirts, etc.
• Family photos.
• Anything you think will not be offensive or frightening to them. Some cartoon characters American children enjoy, can be upsetting to these sheltered children.
• Please contact us with any questions regarding what you can give your child.

HOW ELSE CAN I CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORK OF NLF?

Always remember to pray!  Pray regularly for your sponsored student, for other students being supported, and for those still needing support.  Pray especially concerning your own involvement if you are still considering sponsorship.  Pray for other projects we have in the foundation, for the children, the teachers, the people in remote villages, and our work with training others to bring Christian-based education to children.

Although NLF is a boarding school, we realize the importance of family ties and community. Every three months our children spend one month back home where they eagerly share everything they have learned and experienced. They become true disciples of God and the message is openly received by the villagers.