DRC: “[I have] become a real woman contrary to what I was in the past”

Dear Terry,

Hello! How are you doing?

I wish you a good and long life full of peace, success, and job. May God bless you endlessly for your tenderness and commitment to help me improving my living conditions. Thanks to your financial support, my children are well dressed, well fed, and one of them is attending school. Though the WWI program us over I am sure that the lessons that I have learned will help me strengthen my income generating activities. In fact, as I have become a petty trader, I will apply the business techniques that I learned in the WWI program.

Many thanks to you!

Yours Truly, Chantal

—-

Dearest friend Katie,

Receive warmest greetings from you friend.

The very recent news over here is that of the earthquake that occurred here. As for my training, from the program, I am learning basic business skills because I though these skills I [learn] will help me better my situation and that of my family.

The training will be over in March, I hope that even after the graduating I will be conducting on petty trade to increase my economic level. The training I have received has helped [me] become a real woman contrary to what I was in the past; before I joined the program.

I would like to end this letter by wishing you long life. May God protect you and give you long life.

Yours, Aimerance

Iraq: “A woman who could think and change her life to better”

Dear Sister,

This is a small update about me, I am married and my husband is handicapped so he can’t work. I could open small shop in village to sell simple stuff. I would like to show my thankful for the program and the sponsor because of them I could change my situation and changed from surrounding women to a woman [who] could think and change her life to better.

Thank you a lot for everything,

Your, Risala

Kosova: “We lost almost everything we had”

Hello! Greeting! I am pleased to write you this letter. I would like to thank you very much for your support and making it possible for me to join this wonderful program.

We had good life conditions before the war but we weren’t safe in that time. My family and I have passed through hard moments during the war. We were forced to leave our home in that time. We have stayed in the mountains for a few days and there we had terrible life conditions. Unfortunately a lot of people were killed during the war. Our house was burned too so we lost almost everything we had. Thank God the NATO troops liberated our country and we live in peace today.

America and other foreign states have helped and supported us get our independence too. So now Kosova is the newest state of the world…You and your family are always in my thoughts and prayers. I am looking forward to receiving a letter from you and to get to know more about you.

Respectfully, your sister, Tahirja

Nigeria: “The teachings are very helpful to me”

Dear Sister,

…Since Women for Women International came into existence here, my experiences so far have helped me a lot. I use Monday to Wednesday to do my farming activities, while Thursday of every week is whole dedicated to Women for Women activities and also, Friday and Saturday are used for my farm, while Sunday is my rest day. Moreover, Women for Women activities have certainly shaped my way of doing things. For instance, the way they teach us how to take care of our families properly and combine it with our farming activities has actually helped me to manage my home effectively.

Furthermore, I would like to beg that this program be sustained here because the teachings are very helpful to me….

Rwanda: “Without your support, my life would be useless!”

Following are two letters from Eugenie in Rwanda:

My dear Sponsor Sister,

I greet you with much love and I wish you a prosperous New Year. I hope that all goes well with you and that the lord is blessing you today. I never enjoyed Christmas holidays because I was sick in bed, but I am getting better now. I am on HIV/AIDS medication and I have to eat proper meals and have enough rest. I sell small things in the market and the little money I get helps me to buy food for my children…I would be dead by now if I did not have someone like you who cares for me. I hope that we are able to continue with our friendship. Without your support, my life would be useless! May God shower blessing upon you and your dear ones!

Love, Eugenie

To My Sponsor Sandra,

I am glad to get this opportunity and converse with you again. The whole twelve months we spent together I shan’t forget you because I have many remembrance things at home. The main one is that I became civilized. I got ways of living well depending on myself. I have developed mentally, thoughtfully and in planning of everything. I’m able to develop my family and country in general. Briefly I got out [of] poverty and loneliness. I know much tactics to make money. We end this year and I really appreciate. Now I have an account and I’ll keep saving money because I want to develop my family. Greetings from my family…. I end by thanking you and wishing you peace from God.

Thank you!

Sudan: “I love being called your sister”

Dear Jacacanda,

I am actually blessed to have you as a sister. I really enjoy your letter. Thanks for your soothing letter.

Our program here in the Sudan is very educative. We are learning basic skills such [as] entrepreneurship and marketing skills. We really gain from [these] training sessions.

I must also tell you that, I am glad because you have helped me both financially and socially. I love being called your sister.

I will keep you in my prayers and please do know that you letters are important in my life. Have nice time and prosperous year!

With Love, Deborah Yar Sut

The Power of Letters

“I like to think that each and every letter has ‘wings’ attached and flies into one another’s hearts. It is a vital program and you are to be praised for putting enormous effort into this part of your WFW program. Truly I commend you.”

–Sharon of Maryland