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Tom Friedel interacting with preschool students at recess[/caption]

“For I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger and you gave Me a room. I had no clothes and you gave Me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for Me. I was in prison and you came to see Me.” Matthew 25:35-36

I have the privilege to serve on the eduKenya International Board of Directors. During a recent visit to Kenya, executive director Bob Kikuyu reminded me of the harsh and anguishing realities our students experience in the Mathare slum. The world they live in is inhabited by many dangerous and unscrupulous adults. I was deeply moved by his revelations and the children’s need for positive, adult interaction. We are so fortunate to have an impressive staff in Kenya filling that much needed role for many students.The mission of eduKenya is to offer opportunities that lead to hope and transformation for our students. We know that with each passing year, the children in Mathare become increasingly vulnerable to the schemes of those with malicious intent. These harsh realities have contributed to the decision to build a boarding school outside Nairobi for the students in grades 6 – 12. We believe if we can get them away from the slum, we can further reduce the impact of abuse, gangs, drugs, HIV, early pregnancy, prostitution and human trafficking.In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus points his followers toward issues of human dignity offensive to God. He clarifies that the focus of our moral indignation and the fruits of our spiritual labor should be linked to those who suffer from hunger, thirst, sickness, lack of clothing, homelessness and wrongful persecution. Seeing firsthand what life is like in Mathare, I can add other crippling injustices to this list.Your support of eduKenya means we can offer our students a life of hope and possibility instead of one filled with despair and cruelty. We hope to start construction of the boarding school later this year. To do that we need to raise significant funding in a short amount of time. Please take a moment to check out the eduKenya Development Plan and prayerfully consider how you might contribute to making this dream a reality.Thank you and God bless!Tom Friedel