MY MARANATHA EXPERIENCE – BY REGINALD SMART
This was my first volunteering experience outside the United States, so I was more than honored when my niece Fiona, the founder of Tebbs Second Chances asked me to help her distribute school stationery and books to needy school children at the Maranatha Primary School in Sierra Leone.
The day started with loading hundreds of bags of pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, exercise books, notebooks and reading books for children of all ages onto the truck. We then drove from Freetown to the town of Regent where Maranatha Primary School is located some 15 miles away, which took us over an hour due to the traffic congestion in Freetown. When we arrived at the Maranatha Primary School, we did a brief tour of the school with the Headmistress while the truck was being unloaded by students and teachers. I was emotionally struck and disheartened by the deplorable conditions these school children have to be educated in. In some cases, there were up to 120 children in one class alone!
By the time we finished touring the school, the teachers and students had carefully arranged all the donated school stationery for distribution to school children. The Headmistress called for assembly, the school children sang songs and they were then dispersed to their respective classrooms. We then went to each of the classrooms to distribute the stationery. Each student was given a bag that contained a pencil, pen, eraser, sharpener, notebook, exercise book and ruler.
This was one of the most memorable experiences in my life, seeing the joy and excitement on their faces as they received their bags, it was like you were giving them money! From the second you walk into the classroom, you are surrounded by love and affection. I would sincerely like to thank Tebbs Second Chances for giving me the opportunity to give back to my country of origin. This has been an eye-opening experience for me and I encourage everyone to continue supporting Tebbs Second Chances in their exceptional charitable work, donating to primary schools in Sierra Leone year after year. Always remember that these children are our future and the best hope for the country of Sierra Leone.
