Teenager makes a 'world full of friends' through handwritten letters, quite literally

Resbin Abbas, a teenager , connects with her across 43 countries through handwritten letters in this digital era. The cherished hobby of the eleventh standard brings back the memory of the bygone medium.

Malappuram: When the world is craving instant gratification through social media posts and engagement, a teenager from Malappuram waits for letters written to her from the postman. Resbin Abbas, an eleventh standard student from Malappuram district of Kerala has been networking with her friends across the world through her hand-written letters for a year. She has friends in 43 countries around the world.

Resbin, student of Subulussalam Higher Secondary School, in Moorkanad Areekode in Malappuram District, receives letters and little gifts, from her pen friends aged between 15 and 24 years across 43 countries. It all started when Resbin had shared the photographs of her paper craftworks and artworks on Instagram earlier. Out of fascination, a young woman from Mexico, Sara, messaged her.

Conversations with Sara opened her up into the new world of friendships beyond her little town. Resbin started writing letters to Mexico addressed to Sara. Now, Resbin’s pen friends from America, Japan, Britain, Indonesia, Spain and many other countries around the globe exchange letters with her.

Instant connection and video calls do not lure the young girl, rather a touch of the paper does. The long wait for the letters and aesthetics of reading the handwritten letters keeps the teenager persistent in her hobby, a rarity among her peers. Her friends are astonished by the possibility of building friends through handwritten letters. While her parents and teachers are excited with the letters she receives globally and the bond she shares with her pen friends.