Last month, we asked our Facebook followers to tell us what kinds of gifts and packages they send to their sponsored children around the world. See the loving and creative ways that our child sponsors have found to ship joy across the globe — and receive joy in return!
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Kristine: Meron, our child from Ethiopia, is wonderful. We send her school supplies, hair ties, pictures, and letters — things we know will remind her that we’re here sending her love. For Christmas we bought her family a heifer! We received back a picture of Meron and her family with their heifer. I’m so glad we did that!
Jennifer: We sponsor Maria (age 13, Guatemala), Miniva (age 14, Zambia), Horace (age 11, Malawi), and Eliuda (age 9, Zambia). I send stickers, pencils, small pencil sharpeners, crayons, hair ribbons, punching balloons, small stuffed animals (yes, you can squoosh them into 6×9 envelopes), coloring books, and socks. I have also sent monetary gifts through World Vision and got a letter and a photo showing that one of the families bought roofing material for their home, and another bought a mattress to sleep on. The difference it makes in their lives and the appreciation they show is worth SO much more than the little bit it costs to sponsor them.
Penny: I sponsor a 7-year-old little girl in Myanmar. I sent a special gift of $100, partially to buy an animal for the family to help increase their income. I got back pictures of a very smiley child with her family and their new pig, and three letters expressing their gratitude and telling me all about how she got to go to town for the first time to pick out her own presents with some of the money. Nothing in this world could have given me so much joy!
Tammy: You can fit a LOT in a 5×9 envelope! Look for travel size items and party favors, and at the holidays they make many things in multi-packs of small items … colored pencils, erasers, pens, pencils, and little notepads. I have sent barrettes, ribbons, bows, small compact mirrors, combs, brushes, hot wheels, bracelets, bookmarks, stickers, little dolls, flip flops, headbands, and of course letters, cards, photos, and drawings. We have three World Vision sponsored kids: a girl named Yngrid in Brazil (age 7), a boy named Simgiseni in Eswatini (Swaziland), and a girl named Quinter in Kenya (age 13). We get photos and updates every few months.
Bek: I’ve sent some shirts along with some toy cars, notepads, and pencils. I recently bought some children’s books in their languages to send! I’ll also be sending some coloring pages to them in the next lot of packages. I sponsor a 6-year-old in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a 5-year-old in Armenia.
Michelle: I sponsor a 7-year-old girl in Tanzania and have given her a dress, stickers, hat, markers, pencils, photos, a doll, stamps, and ink pad. Every time we send a package, we get a letter back from her and a photo of her holding the items we sent, and she always has a big smile on her face! I also sponsor a boy in Uganda who is 13 years old, and I’ve given him a keychain flashlight, pens, wash cloths, soap, work gloves, and art supplies.
Ann: I sponsor a beautiful little girl named Ashley from Costa Rica. I have sent her clothes, hair accessories, small books/toys — stuff I could fit into a small envelope. I recently found out from a World Vision person that I could send a bigger package, so I sent her a baby doll (her favorite thing to play with). The doll looked just like her. I can’t wait for her to get it; wish I could be there to see the look on her face.
Brielle: Stickers, toy cars, Spanish flash cards, small puzzle, toothbrush, socks, small coloring book, colored pencils, small books, pictures colored by my kids, pictures of our family, cards and letters, and lots of love and prayers. Our precious cutie is 4 years old and from the Dominican Republic.
Susanna: I sponsor five girls — Christine (9, Zimbabwe), Soha (12, India), Luz Elena (13, Nicaragua), Relebohile (14, Lesotho), and Kogulam (13, Sri Lanka) — and I send them small notebooks, stickers, pencils, pens, hair, pencil sharpeners, scissors, glue, tape, erasers, and jump rope. I’d like to make them some bookmarks and rag dolls for each girl that look like her. It is easiest to send packages to Christine in Zimbabwe as the offices there will accept packages of any size.
Sally: If you call World Vision, you can have them send money directly to your child from your bank account. It’s converted into their currency. Over the years my child’s family [an 8-year-old girl in Ethiopia] has purchased three heifers and a bull. They now have milk to sell and they rent out the bull to nearby farmers. Along with the small gifts I send, it has been wonderful to receive their letters of appreciation.
Abby: You can’t send used clothing, so if you ever send clothing, make sure it still has a price tag on it!
Margaret: I send school supplies and some Christian items for my child. I get a picture of her and a thank-you note from her. It is wonderful to get that response! Thank you, World Vision, and thank you, God!
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Don’t forget!
Always mail your 6 inch by 9 inch envelope to the address printed on your child’s picture folder. For details, visit My World Vision.
Please do not send jewelry; items that appear to be expensive/excessive; keepsakes or items of great sentimental value; or cash of any currency, which could be confiscated.
Other gifts: You may learn that your sponsored child has a special financial need, such as a bicycle for transportation or a new roof for the family’s house. If you’d like to help by giving a financial gift beyond the amount of your sponsorship, please contact us.
Learn more about how World Vision child sponsorship works.
Already a child sponsor? Visit or set up your account at My World Vision for a variety of ways to send love and show your sponsored child that you’re thinking about him or her. You can mail letters and cards, send emails, and find out how to ship gift packages!
If you aren’t a World Vision child sponsor yet, consider finding the child you want to sponsor today! You can search by birthday, age, gender, and country to find the perfect child for you and your family.
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