The LetterNetwork Process

At-risk orphans in South Africa are identified by teachers, care-takers or others in their community. The children are typically students between 10 and 18 and can read and write English. The LetterNetwork office assigns these students to an approved Mentor. On a monthly basis, the children's letters are gathered by community volunteers and they are forwarded to either the US or South Africa LetterNetwork office. There is no cost for postage to the child and paper and envelopes are also provided. The LetterNetwork office forwards the children's letters to their assigned Mentor.

The Mentor reads and replies to the children's letter and sends the reply back to their associated LetterNetwork office. We forward the letters to a local community volunteer or teacher who delivers it to the child.

This cycle continues through a two-year period with typically an exchange of 24 letters. During this time the Mentor provides counseling and encouragement. Mentor's letters are guided by downloadable materials to ensure the correspondence is culturally sensitive and reinforces important concepts of value to the child.

About Us

LetterNetwork is a program of Reaching a Generation, Inc. headquartered in Mokapane, Limpopo Province, South Africa and their ministry partner Reaching a Generation USA, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit charitable organization with offices in Raleigh North Carolina.    Reaching a Generation exists to assist the vulnerable and needy children of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Hal and Vickie Bredbenner administer LetterNetwork Mentors in the United States and Canada. Charl and Thelma Blignaut manage the interactions with the LetterNetwork children in South Africa. Both offices provide cultural and spiritual advice to LetterNetwork Mentors.