How the project came about
Hi, it's Sabine, Toby's Mum here.
As the project goes more viral, I realised that the network of people is growing ever and ever wider, and people are helping us who know neither Toby, nor me, so, I've put together this page, to explain why Toby is writing to the world:
Beware of books, they are dangerous things!
Toby was just finishing Reception here in the UK, a compulsory year of schooling which comes before "Year 1". In June that year (2013), he brought home a book to read with me, Collins Big Cat "A Letter to New Zealand", by Alison Hawes. The book describes the journey a letter makes: a boy writes it, it goes in the post box, in a van, to a sorting office, on a plane, to a sorting office, in a van, to a postman, to a little boy...in New Zealand. Who writes a reply. This book sparked the question: "Mummy, can I write a letter to New Zealand?" Cue Mummy racking her brain to think of potential contacts. My response: "Yeeeah, I think so............", which was immediately followed by Toby saying: "Can I write a letter to the whole world?"
We looked at a map, and I tried to explain that the term "country" was actually quite a tricky one, and even if we only went for UN members (and no, Toby doesn't understand exactly what that means!), there would be nearly 200 countries to write to, meaning at least 193 letters, a number he immediately increased by identifying several US States that simply *needed* a letter, and insisting on "doubling up" on other countries.
Well, the summer holidays were near, Toby is very interested in the world, and so I thought...let's give it a go...
.....foolishly assuming that he would lose interest about five letters in. He didn't.
I first asked friends from around the world to be Toby's exchange partners. He kept on writing. We decided on which countries he really wanted, and then, friends were asking friends to help out. The project grew. He kept on writing. I began writing to international schools, and deliberately seeking out well-travelled contacts. He kept on writing. Suddenly, he was a third of the way there, and I thought "oh, heck, he might just do this!"
We started the website to keep track of the project - as you might imagine, it's a bit of a challenge! We took pictures of all letters (apart from one - bonus points if you find it!), so that a) Toby would remember what he'd asked by the time the letter came back, and b) we had a back-up plan for "postal attrition". The website also helps Toby achieve one of his goals...to show other children how amazing the world is.
With learning more about the countries came the desire to do something about the need we encountered in so many of the countries Toby writes to, and so, there is now a way to sponsor Toby, should you wish to do so - just go to the "Sponsor Toby" page to read more.
As the project goes more viral, I realised that the network of people is growing ever and ever wider, and people are helping us who know neither Toby, nor me, so, I've put together this page, to explain why Toby is writing to the world:
Beware of books, they are dangerous things!
Toby was just finishing Reception here in the UK, a compulsory year of schooling which comes before "Year 1". In June that year (2013), he brought home a book to read with me, Collins Big Cat "A Letter to New Zealand", by Alison Hawes. The book describes the journey a letter makes: a boy writes it, it goes in the post box, in a van, to a sorting office, on a plane, to a sorting office, in a van, to a postman, to a little boy...in New Zealand. Who writes a reply. This book sparked the question: "Mummy, can I write a letter to New Zealand?" Cue Mummy racking her brain to think of potential contacts. My response: "Yeeeah, I think so............", which was immediately followed by Toby saying: "Can I write a letter to the whole world?"
We looked at a map, and I tried to explain that the term "country" was actually quite a tricky one, and even if we only went for UN members (and no, Toby doesn't understand exactly what that means!), there would be nearly 200 countries to write to, meaning at least 193 letters, a number he immediately increased by identifying several US States that simply *needed* a letter, and insisting on "doubling up" on other countries.
Well, the summer holidays were near, Toby is very interested in the world, and so I thought...let's give it a go...
.....foolishly assuming that he would lose interest about five letters in. He didn't.
I first asked friends from around the world to be Toby's exchange partners. He kept on writing. We decided on which countries he really wanted, and then, friends were asking friends to help out. The project grew. He kept on writing. I began writing to international schools, and deliberately seeking out well-travelled contacts. He kept on writing. Suddenly, he was a third of the way there, and I thought "oh, heck, he might just do this!"
We started the website to keep track of the project - as you might imagine, it's a bit of a challenge! We took pictures of all letters (apart from one - bonus points if you find it!), so that a) Toby would remember what he'd asked by the time the letter came back, and b) we had a back-up plan for "postal attrition". The website also helps Toby achieve one of his goals...to show other children how amazing the world is.
With learning more about the countries came the desire to do something about the need we encountered in so many of the countries Toby writes to, and so, there is now a way to sponsor Toby, should you wish to do so - just go to the "Sponsor Toby" page to read more.
