A Saltus schoolboy was the proud recipient of a letter from a Croatian schoolgirl this week.

Eight-year-old Nicholas Scarcliffe, of Smith's Parish, received the letter from 13-year-old Dena Stanojevic -- a refugee living in Split, Croatia.

Nicholas was one of many schoolchildren who had taken part in a shoebox drive organised by Lucie Willits of the Medjugorie Peace Plan Group in October of last year.

Several local schools took part in the drive, carefully filling gift wrapped boxes with school supplies including pencils, erasers, note pads, crayons and other much needed equipment.

But although the whole of Saltus Junior School took part, it seems Nicholas was the only one who thought to enclose his name and address in the shoebox he made up with the help of his mother Beverley.

"I told them where I lived and put it in the box,'' said Nicholas who intends to write back and send photos to his new pen pal in Croatia.

"We'd totally forgotten about it,'' said his mother who initially thought the strange letter came from a cousin in the Azores. "We never dreamt he'd get a response.'' Mrs. Willits was equally enthusiastic about the letter.

"Nicholas was very thoughtful to put a letter in and fortunate to get a reply,'' she said.

She noted she has already received a letter of thanks from the distributor in Split, confirming the arrival of the container but described the letter of thanks written by the Croatian teenager as " very touching''.