Learning How To Write By Answering Sponsor's Letters

"I always dream to be a famous writer."

That sentence is written in Maria's letter to her sponsor. The 17-year-old girl often expresses her dream to be a writer. To realize her dream, she always practices writing. During her leisure time, she reviews and reads her previous writings.

Maria is very fortunate to have a sponsor who often sends her letters. Through her answering letters, Maria tells her life to her sponsor, Terry. She says that she gets assistance in fulfilling some of her school fees. It is really helpful to her family, especially for her parents who work as a fabric worker and a cleaning worker.

In one of her letters, Maria tells that she is involved in activities organized by Loving Khatulistiwa Children Forum (FORANCIKHA) such as participating in health reproduction training, growing nutritious plants, and doing Child Led Review (CLR).

CLR is a research done by children that studies issues in the children neighborhood. Since 2013, Wahana Visi accompanies FORANCIKHA to do a research. Hopefully, the result of the research will be recommendation for the realization of Siantan Hulu village as a child friendly village.

For Maria, writing is an activity that always makes her enthusiastic. Writing can entertain herself when she feels sad. Besides learning writing through answering her sponsor's letter, Maria sharpens her talent in writing by filling her diary book. She tries to always write her life history in the book.

Maria is one Indonesian child who dreams as high as the sky.

*Written by Leonie Beatrix Mahtilda, Children Sponsorship Management Project Coordinator, Wahana Visi Indonesia at Urban Pontianak office