Ask a group of 3rd grade children to read a geography book and you would likely see their arms crossing and bottom lips sticking out. However, ask that same group if they want to be pen pals with kids their age in Africa and they will become animated while smiling "from ear-to-ear."

The question was asked by Technical Sergeant Theodore Lee, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa's (CJTF-HOA) J6 small computers section, who became a catalyst for the exchange in an effort to stay actively involved in his children's day-to-day activities.

Deployed almost 8,000 miles away from his wife and three daughters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, Lee joined the volunteer English Discussion Group in Djibouti. While taking part in the group, he noticed that the participants were "way older" than he expected, so he asked around, trying to find a way to be involved with younger people.
From this idea, and more asking around, he created a pen pal program between his middle daughter's class and a Djiboutian elementary school. Lee's middle daughter, Alyssa Love -- known by her friends as Love -- is in Ms. Teresa Martin's 3rd Grade Class at Lake Joy Elementary School in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Ms. Martin said the enthusiasm surrounding the opportunity was immediately evident in the reactions of her students. "They were so excited! That is all they would talk about for the next 15-20 minutes," she said. "They were eager to begin writing the letters right at that moment."

As the sound of freshly-sharpened pencils being pushed on paper by the small hands of 8-year-olds filled the classroom, the children wrote about their families, what they like to do for fun, the different types of food that Americans eat and what their daily life is like. "I had to remind them not to write everything in the first of many letters!" said Ms. Martin.

While Lee worked with both the Lake Joy principal and Ms. Martin to have his daughter's class write letters, he also worked with the base's community relations advisor Mahamed Ahmed Abdillahi to determine where the letters would be delivered locally. The local Lycee Kessel School was chosen.

"I've always been very active in my daughter's activities, no matter where I am in the world," he said. Since the local populace doesn't speak English as their primary language, would there be the potential for a language barrier? No worries there, according to Lee. "You'd be surprised at their English skills," Lee said of the children at the Lycee Kessel School. "(Their English) is better than my French," he said while laughing.

"I would love to send letters as much as I can," said his daughter Love. "I am very curious," said Love about the local elementary children and, "I really can't wait until a reply comes back."

Lee said it's more than just being involved and volunteering on camp that motivates him to put his energy into this program. "It keeps me connected to my children," he said. "But I also do it because I can. If I was a child doing this, I would think, 'How cool is that?'"

While the Georgia elementary school teacher said she has been involved in a couple of small projects like this in the past, she said it gave her more ideas about making a pen pal program more successful. "I would very much like to participate in a pen pal correspondent project (like this) in the years to come," said Martin.

"It would be great if I had information early in the school year (August) so that students can actually send and receive letters throughout the year," said Martin. This way, she said, children can share not only their learning experiences throughout the school year, but also the special days, such as holidays, birthdays, and other traditions.

For this pen pal program, Love said she would "love to send letters as much as I can." For her father? Lee said he enjoys doing projects like this because it opens up his children's minds. "It's not work for me," he said. "I see it as an opportunity.

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