Operation YPENCIL

Posted on behalf of Joel Abelinde, Communications Coordinator in Children International's Manila, Philippines agency.

Ever thought of children helping other children to communicate better with their sponsors? This is what YPENCIL (Young People Enhancing Children to Improve their Letters), a group of youth volunteers, is doing.

Junalyn Ban-eg, a Field Officer in Manila, Philippines noticed that while many children write very good letters to their sponsors, some children still have difficulty. She thought that the older sponsored children who write well could help others to improve their writing skills.

Wasting no time to set her idea into motion, Junalyn found three youths from each area with a knack for writing. She conducted a training on letter writing, highlighting ideas for what children may write about in their letters, the format of the letter and what kinds of paper to use, among other things. “They were very willing to learn and to assist other children,” Junalyn noted. “We encourage children to write about themselves more to their sponsors,” she added.

“The initiative has had some noticeable results,” Junalyn observes. “There was a noticeable improvement in content and neatness in the letters younger children write. They are also able to share more personal information about themselves. Because there is not much difference in age, the younger children are more comfortable in their company,” Junalyn happily states. The initiative also helped Junalyn to achieve her goal of getting 100% of the children who were due to write letters to complete them each month.


Sponsored youth, Cheryl Ann Barcelon studies hotel and restaurant management at a nearby college. She is among the 19 members of the group. Two days a week, she comes to the field office to help younger children write to their sponsors. “I initially thought that it is difficult to help children write their letters. I am very happy that I am a part of this group. I am happy helping children write to their sponsors. I am also learning and improving my English,” she said.

Paper Treasures

Things that seem small to you and me can mean the world to a child who has virtually nothing of her own. When we asked Faith, from Manila, Philippines, what was the first thing she would show her sponsor if she came to visit, her simple reply spoke volumes:

“I will show them all their letters to me which I read over and over again.”

Photo by Arlene De Vera, from Children International’s agency in Manila.

Living Letters

Last week we posted about the opening of the Nicole Lyn Anderson community center in Colombia. In today's post, we want to share with you the story of Nicole's visit with her sponsored child, Luz, during a November 2004 trip to Barranquilla. This story was written by Damon Guinn and appeared in the May 2006 Children International eNews.

Tomorrow, Nicole's husband, Brian, shares his emotional journey as the center named in his wife's memory was inaugruated.

“I know this family is going to make it,” Nicole Anderson confides while pointing to a picture of exuberant Colombians.

Nicole, anxious to talk about her trip to Barranquilla, Colombia, had recently returned from visiting her sponsored child, Luz, after dropping off some gifts for a relative’s sponsored child, Carolina.

“When I arrived at Carolina’s home, her little sister, Stephany, leaped into my arms,” Nicole says, still clearly excited about the experience. Her entire family came out in celebration.

“It was so much fun to see how happy they were,” she exclaims, especially after presenting the girls with art supplies, stuffed animals, and a photo album of her family. “Their mother, Jacqueline, was so moved by the photographs and presents, she gave me a very special picture of her family. It was probably one of their only photos.”

The visit convinced Nicole to sponsor Stephany once she returned home to Kansas City. Soon after returning, she sent the family the pictures she had taken during her visit. In a matter of weeks, a letter from Jacqueline arrived in her mailbox.

Turning to a letter now pasted in her photo album, Nicole reads, “We remember the day you were here with us a lot. Stephany is very happy with all the pictures where you appear. She shows them to everybody that comes to our house.”

And that was just the first visit, the one that was supposed to be a quick stopover, Nicole continues. Her trip to see Luz, her first sponsored child, was even more gratifying.

“Luz ran out of her house yelling, ‘Mí madre! Mí madre!’” (My mother! My mother!) Nicole pantomimes while flipping to a picture of the slightly cross-eyed girl beaming at the camera. “She jumped into my arms, wrapped her legs around my waist and gave me a big kiss on the cheek.”

Despite the ragged conditions of the house and the family’s obvious hardship, she says Luz was all smiles and remained draped around her neck throughout the visit.

Pointing to a picture of Luz wearing a Carnival mask Nicole had given her, she turns to her most cherished letter. In uneven, curlicue letters, the happy-go-lucky girl has penned, “I am very happy to have met you…I also wish to see you again very soon to hug you and give you lots of kisses.”

“These letters are like love letters – they’re read over and over again,” admits Nicole, clearly smitten.

Even if other sponsors don’t have the opportunity to visit their children, she encourages them to write and send pictures so they, too, will experience the joy of connecting with their sponsored children.

“It’s life-changing,” she concludes. “That’s all I can say.”