The Messages of Mercy Writing Program offers students of all ages the opportunity to connect with students in Kenya, with this simple letter writing program.
Messages of Mercy
Everyone’s Child, Inc, Messages of Mercy program connects students in the United States with students in Kenya.
Letter Writing Program
The program was started to create an awareness and sensitivity for people in other parts of the world. We believe when students are introduced to other cultures, they have a greater understanding and tolerance for these cultures when they become adults.
In February of 2008, over 650 orphaned children fled to a village outside of Nakuru for refuge after presidential elections led to widespread ethnic and political violence. Some of them returned to their homes, but many remained in the village to attend local primary schools.
In an effort to connect with these children, students in public and private schools in the United States were invited to write a “message of mercy” that began with “Dear Friend,” and encouraged the student receiving the letter to continue working hard in order to receive a good education. Since that time, public and private schools in central Vermont and Pennsylvania have been reaching out to children in Kenya in this way, helping students in both countries to feel connected, important and needed.
Making A Difference
The program has already made a big difference in the lives of children on both sides of the globe. For example, an American child became so enamored with the thought of having an African “sister” that her family planned to travel to Kenya when she became older, simply to expose their daughter to a culture other than their own. Another pair of students wrote back and forth from 5th grade until their graduation from high school.
In Kenya, a first-grade teacher spoke about an orphaned child who used to leave school at lunchtime and not return:
Kelvin would just go home at lunchtime and not come back; you know he had no reason to be excited about education. But when he learned that there was someone in America who cared about him, he started to show up in the morning with his face washed and hair brushed, his clothes were neater; even his sho-sho [grandmother] said he had a new attitude about coming to school. Now even his grades are improving.
A teacher in the USA wrote this letter after her seventh and eighth graders participated in the program:
Dear Dr. Young,
Many, many thanks for coming to our school to share information about the Messages of Mercy program, and to hand deliver the letters from Kenya. I can truly say that the day you came was one of the most moving – and ultimately important days of my career as a teacher. But the most important thing of all was the response from the students, not what happened to me. I have never seen students so engaged with their work and so moved by what they learned. Your calm manner and thoughtful approach reached deep into these students’ hearts and minds.
Once again, thank you very much for your visit to our school. I will never forget it. I hope you can come again next year. (Teacher – Personal communications)
Program Coordinator
Tracy Guion of Waitsfield, VT is EC’s new Messages of Mercy Program Coordinator. In May 2019, Tracy worked to connect students from Kenya with students from a middle school in Vermont. The results were phenomenal! Three students from Vermont decided to spend their summer raising funds for orphans in Kenya so they could go to school. After hearing about what the girls were doing, several Kenyan students created their own fundraisers, setting goals and working in tandem with American students to support their peers in need. Watch the video below describing their efforts:
Mail or deliver your letter to:
Tracy Guion: Messages of Mercy Program Coordinator P.O. Box 832 Waitsfield, VT 05673
IMPORTANT: Please include your name, address, and the name of your school/organization. A response is not guaranteed, but someday you may hear back from a friend in Kenya!
Some tips:
• Please write letters on a standard 8 ½ by 11” piece of paper.
• Send all letters in flat envelopes. Boxes will not be delivered.
• Please do not send candy, money, or any items except letters, otherwise people receiving the letter will have to pay a duty tax.
Thank you for your interest and concern for the children.