Thank You, From Serabu
The families your generosity put in school have something to say — in their own words and their own voices.
Field update by Tom Lewis | Serabu, Sierra Leone
Some Updates Arrive as Reports. This One Arrived as Voices.
Over the past several days, a steady stream of messages and short videos has come in from Serabu — from parents, from students, from the staff who walk alongside them. They came with a single request attached: please pass our thanks along to the donors.
So here it is. The videos below are theirs. The words below are theirs. Nothing about this update needed to be dressed up.
A message of thanks from the beneficiary families in Serabu.
One of Seven
Seven girls from Serabu were identified for support. One of them has now been enrolled at SLOIC for an eighteen-month skills training program.
Eighteen months. A trade. A livelihood. A different arc for an entire household. That is what a scholarship actually looks like on the ground in Serabu — not a line item, but a young woman with a seat in a classroom and a future she can name out loud.
Six more are waiting for the same chance.
Students and families in Serabu share their gratitude with the donors who made this year of school possible.
In Their Own Words
On behalf of the beneficiaries, I want to take this special opportunity to register our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our Dad and every donor for this gesture. May the good Lord continue to bless and reward them a hundredfold.
— A message from the beneficiary families, Serabu
Good morning to this group. On behalf of the beneficiary children and their parents, we want to say a big thank you to all the donors towards their education. We pray the Almighty God will continue to elevate you all. To our beloved Dad, the CEO of Schanzer Eye Clinic Serabu — we want to say a very big thank you for your humanity. We pray that the good Lord will continue to elevate you and give you the strength to continue the good work. Once more, we say thank you.
— A parent, on behalf of the beneficiary children and their families
Straight from Serabu.
Straight from Serabu.
One Community, Many Prayers
Serabu is a community where Christian and Muslim families live, farm, and raise children side by side — and where both send their thanks in the language of their own faith. One of the messages that arrived read simply:
Thank you sir for your hard work. I pray that Allah will bless you and protect you from bad people. Amiina, inshallah.
— A supporter in Serabu
The clinic has never asked a patient which prayer they say before treating their eyes. The scholarship program does not ask either.
More from Serabu — the faces behind the thank-you.
Six More Are Waiting.
One girl from Serabu is in an eighteen-month training program right now because someone gave. Six more are waiting for the same door to open. Every gift goes directly to the work on the ground in Sierra Leone — free eye care for patients who have no other option, and education for children whose families cannot carry the cost alone.
Tell Papa God Tenki. (Thank God.)
Prefer to give by phone? Text SCHANZER to 44-321.
Video and messages provided by the Schanzer Eye Clinic mission team and beneficiary families in Serabu, Sierra Leone. Field updates by Tom Lewis.