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Gerald Kamande, age 8, orphan[/caption]This Sunday is Mother’s Day, a day set aside to honor mothers and recognize the important role they play in the lives of families and communities. But for many, this day is marked not by celebration and joy, but by pain and loss.Mothers ache because they can’t feed malnourished children or grieve for children who died young, often of preventable disease. Children mourn for mothers who abandoned them or departed from life too soon. Women who long to have or adopt children experience sadness as they continue to wait. Women who aren’t officially mothers, but who serve critical mothering roles in the lives of children are often overlooked.Gerald Kamande is an eight year old student at eduKenya’s Kwa Watoto School among the millions of orphaned children in the world for whom Mother’s Day is marked not by chocolate and flowers, but by heartbreaking grief.Gerald was only four years old when his father died. This immense bereavement left Gerald’s mother precariously struggling to provide for her children, hardly able to feed and clothe them, let alone pay for rent. The daily travail of eking by on well under $2 per day as a single mother took a heavy toll on the whole family.In 2010, Gerald enrolled at the Kwa Watoto School, near to his home in the Jangwani neighborhood of the Mathare slum. At the time, Gerald’s mother was working several informal jobs, including washing laundry and filling potholes as a short-term laborer. Unable to pay the commitment fee of $14 required for Gerald to attend school for the year, Gerald’s mother unsuccessfully sought a sponsor to pay the fee. When the Kwa Watoto School administration learned about her circumstances, the fee was waived and Gerald was able to start school immediately.In 2012, Gerald’s mother became gravely ill and unable to care for her children. Gerald subsisted on meals he received at school, though often went to bed without dinner. On the weekends when school was not in session, he went hungry.Gerald’s mother died on December 4, 2012, leaving Gerald an orphan.We can’t replace Gerald’s mother nor erase the pain of his loss. What we can do with your help is continue providing him with nourishing food, regular medical check ups, spiritual nurture, mentorship and the opportunity to receive a robust education that empowers him to break the cycle of poverty.Gerald excels at school and dreams of being a pilot when he grows up. Will you help Gerald chase after his dream and reach his God-given potential by supporting his education? Along with the many other orphaned children at the Kwa Watoto School for whom Mother’s Day is one of pain and loss, Gerald will have the opportunity to dream hopefully about the future because of your intervention on his behalf.Please join us in praying for Gerald and all other orphaned children on Mother’s Day. May God's love and mercy comfort and sustain them.