An African Foster Child’s Reaction

Thank you to Beverly Beyette, for her informative articles on Feb. 3 telling about Foster Parents Plan Inc. (“Foster Parents Throw Lifeline to Youngsters”). You have reconfirmed our belief that the organization is an honest and humanitarian one. I’d like to share with you a letter we received from our foster child, Hawa Coulibaly, a 12-year-old girl who lives in Mali, Africa, in a small village of mud huts. FPP asks us not to send money or packages, but only paper items like photos, stickers and picture post cards. We wondered what Hawa would think of one of the new musical greeting cards, and this was her translated reply:

“I’ve received your kind letter with the wonderful singing card. The whole family was charmed with such an information (sic), and everybody wanted to press the button of the card, which makes a bird’s noise. But unfortunately it does not work anymore. A brother of mine has opened it to discover the mystery. He opened it with a knife. However, it kept on singing, but unfortunately stopped three hours later. I very heartily thank you!”

ANN AND LOUIE JENSEN

El Segundo