The principal, and a teacher and her students, standing in front of our pilot school in DR Congo
Education is a key that unlocks doors for people all over the world. And in developing countries, it can also unlock the door that holds people in the prison of poverty—sometimes for generations to come. In 2015 the Education Ministry worked in countries around the world to provide keys to education that uniquely fit the many challenges faced by the poor.
One way we’ve done this is through our sponsorship program. Heaven’s Family works with trusted Christian schools that lack adequate funds. Compassionate sponsors make it possible for poor children to attend these schools by subsidizing their tuition. We also require parents to share responsibility by paying the school what they can in currency, goods or services. The schools can then properly teach and minister to the children. More than 270 children are currently sponsored, and the number keeps growing!
Sometimes it’s not pencils, erasers and school books that are the problem, but the way children are taught.
In DR Congo we are pioneering a school and teacher training center that starts with Christ-loving teachers who truly care about their students. We keep classroom sizes small, and train teachers how to properly evaluate and care for each student’s needs. This model has been very successful in neighboring Rwanda.
Street children often receive no education at all. We are working to mobilize volunteers to go into slums and garbage dumps equipped with school kits that have everything a child needs to acquire a 3rd-grade education. After attaining the basics, children are then offered scholarships to local schools to complete their education.
In our efforts to educate children at every level we don’t want to forget adults who are poor because they never received an adequate education. The solution: equip adults with vocational training or, in some instances, college. This year we have seen students land jobs as seamstresses, restaurant workers, metal fabricators and even racecar mechanics—and they are now self-supporting.
Last year our Education Ministry worked in 12 countries—Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Uganda, Philippines, Rwanda, DR Congo, Tanzania and Cambodia. We touched the lives of over 2,000 students with individualized educational solutions and clear presentations of the gospel.
