Connecting with your sister
Exchanging messages of support with your sister is at the heart of sponsorship. They provide an emotional lifeline to the women we serve.
Receiving personal messages and photographs is a joy we all share, but especially for our programme participants, some of whom have never received a message from someone in their life. You simply cannot imagine the impact that your messages will have on the woman you sponsor. We hear time and again from our country directors, staff and the participants themselves how much sponsors’ messages mean to them. After experiencing hardship and isolation, receiving a message of support from someone they have never met inspires them to hope for a better future, and to know they are not alone.
Send your messages online
Sending messages through your online account is an easy, fast and environmentally-friendly way to communicate with your sister, and you can even attach photographs. Once you have submitted your message, it will be sent to our country office electronically and then printed and translated, before being given to your sister. As well as sending messages, when you log in to your account you can also see your sister’s photograph and the information about her that you received when you first began sponsoring her.
Register or login to your online account
Your sister faces many challenges
Your sister will be encouraged to respond to the messages she receives from you, however some of the women in our programmes may have circumstances that make it difficult to write. For example, they may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or they may not know how to write. We encourage you to continue sending messages to your sister even if she is unable to respond, because we know from experience that receiving messages from sponsors is an incredible source of support, comfort and inspiration to the women we serve.
How do I send a message to my sister?
We encourage you to send messages to your sister through your online account as it is an easy, fast, environmentally-friendly and cost-effective way to communicate with your sister.
After you have become a sponsor, you can register for youronline account. You’ll need to provide the name, postcode and email that you provided us when you signed up to be a sponsor.
After you log in, you will be able to see your sister’s information and photo, and her information will be automatically filled in for you so that you can start writing your message straightaway. You can even attach photos, write captions, and save draft letters to come back to.
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It’s up to you. You could tell your sister about yourself, your family, where you live, where you work or what you do in your free time. Equally, you could tell her about why you decided to become a sponsor and what it means to you. Your sister might like to hear about your culture and traditions in your family. Feel free to ask about your sister’s daily life, her family and where she lives. You could also ask her about what she is learning in the Women for Women programme and what topics she enjoys.
Please remember to be sensitive to cultural differences and the negative experiences your sister may have had. If she is a survivor of conflict, please do not ask about the suffering she and her family may have endured. As time goes on, she may disclose these things to you if she chooses to.
Please also do not include any personal details such as your address, phone number or e-mail address in your messages, in order to protect your privacy.
If you would like to greet your sister in her language, click on the country where she is from below to find useful greetings and phrases:
And remember, a picture tells a thousand words. Why not send your sister a photograph of you and your family? We know she’ll treasure it.
[Close] How long will it take for my message to reach my sister?
It may take up to eight weeks or more for your message to reach your sister, and another eight weeks for you to receive one from her, if she is able to write.
[Close]How often should I send messages?
Please send messages as often as you like, but in an effort to help our locally-employed translators, please send no more than one message per month.
[Close]Can I send extra money or a gift to my sister?
Your sponsorship donations mean so much to your sister and all of the women we serve. In the countries where we work, giving one woman more money or a gift can have a negative impact on efforts to develop the self-sufficiency of the entire community. For this reason, we do not facilitate sending extra funds or gifts to programme participants. We would be delighted if you would like to make one-off donations towards your sister’s country programme, which will facilitate extra services. Donate.
We encourage you to send a message to your sister to show her your support.
Please do not send any gifts for your sister to our offices as they will not be passed on.
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