Dear Friends,
Pictures are only as powerful as the emotions they convey, and this picture, from the July Serve to Learn trip, is powerful because it conveys the most powerful emotion of all— love. Every year, youth from all over the world meet in Egypt to experience that powerful emotion by opening themselves up to the love of children. That shared experience makes this picture of Marianne Sawires so special. Here is Marianne’s “a picture is worth 1,000 words” blog post (although this picture is probably worth a million words).
— Nermien
Who’s in this photo?
Me, Marianne Sawires and one of my favorite kids that I served (Michael).
Where was it taken?
In the nady (activity area) of the church where we were having the party on the last day.
What’s happening in the photo?
Saying goodbye.
How did you feel when it was taken?
I’ve never felt so much sadness and love at the same time.
Why do you want to remember this moment?
I only started to realize how attached I was to my kids when we had to say goodbye.
If you could help people understand one thing with this photo, what would it be?
When people see this photo, I want them to understand why saying goodbye was so hard. These kids want nothing more than to feel loved and Serve to Learn does exactly that. I love these kids.
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Interested in learning more about Serve to Learn? Check out our page and video, which gives a snapshot of the program!
If you’d like to help more kids in Egypt get a better education and succeed in life, please donate through our Indiegogo campaign by clicking here.
If this “a picture is worth a 1,000 words” blog makes you want to read other Serve to Learn stories, here are those of Jessica Hanna, Jessica Ayob, Pheobe, and Ryan. If that’s not enough, you can read Serve to Learn interviews with:
Toni, John, Gaby, Mina, Andy, Veronika, David, Ben, Kirollos, Mariam, Alex, and Mirelle
You may also enjoy these video interviews with Nadine, Peter and Mary. Any questions you’d like to ask a real human being? Call or email Mira Fouad, who runs Serve to Learn, at 703-641-8910 or at mfouad@copticorphans.org