How can I know my paper gifts (stickers, paper dolls) are culturally appropriate (for Rwanda)?

Hi Aliya! Thank you so much for your heart for your sweet little girl and your desire to be culturally appropriate when sending her letters and extra items! Most of the stickers you find in stores are absolutely ok to send to her with your letters. I would suggest staying away from purchasing stickers that have weapons as for some of our precious children, weapons can be related to gangs or militant groups. You can absolutely send some stickers with African animals on them. Many children, even in Africa, may have never seen some of the animals found on their continent and find those stickers just as enjoyable as we do here :). I usually make a stop at a store like Hobby Lobby after sponsoring a new child to find some stickers that represent my home very well. Since that's Colorado, I try to find ones that include things like mountains, hiking, animals that live here, etc. It's a great way to help your kiddo visualize what your region is like! The Rwanda paper doll that is on our Compassion Explorer Magazine website is a great one to send to her! The beautiful kitenge fabric those outfits are made to look like is worn throughout quite a few African countries and should not cause any tension.  I think you are off to a great start and will do a fantastic job! As you get to know your child, you should soon learn her likes and dislikes and be able to base some of your items and your letters off of that information. I have faith in you!

What is the compassion explorer magazine? Tank you for sharing about how yo send extra stuff to our kids!