Children in one of the iron classrooms in Saboti, Kenya

Dear Friends,

As the midday African sun beats mercilessly down on the galvanized metal roofing sheets of the school—in which over a hundred children are eagerly trying to learn—it becomes like an oven. They brave the sweltering heat in this rural Kenyan school for one reason: it’s their only chance to receive a quality education.

Three years ago, many of these students did not have a school to go to. Not until a local pastor and friend of Heaven’s Family, felt a calling to provide them with one. He didn’t have many resources, so the school was hastily built with the most basic materials. But now the children of Saboti Christian Academy are learning math, science, history, Swahili and, most importantly, about the Lord.

Last year, some government officials visited the school and expressed concerns about the school’s construction. The corrugated metal sheets that cover the roof and walls of the school get extremely hot, making the children vulnerable to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. They also pointed out the potential for injury from the sharp metal edges. The officials told the principal and pastor that to remain open he must replace the wood-frame-and-metal-sheet walls with bricks.

The small tuition fees cover the small teacher salaries, but not much else. The school could have been forced to be closed causing the children to lose their rare opportunity at getting a quality education. But thankfully this was not the case because last summer through your donations to the Education Fund we were able to finish all the needed improvements and even add three new rooms. I recently had the privilege of visiting the school and the principal asked me to tell all of the contributors, “Thank you for your compassion!”

For Him,

CJ McDaniel
Director, Education Fund