Training Hearts and Minds
Posted: March 1, 2023
Only 50% of students in Kenya who finish primary school go on to complete high school. That number is even less for girls than for boys. Students who go to high school get jobs more easily. They are able to help their families and neighbors.
Uhuru Academy is a boarding school for girls in Limuru, Kenya. Students rise at 5:00 a.m. They clean the school. Then they enjoy Bible teaching and classes from 7:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Before the academy began, a ministry called Uhuru Child gave school scholarships to girls living in a camp. Families fled to the camp to escape tribal warfare.
Uhuru Child later became Freedom Global. Staff members realized after a few years that they should start a high school. They mapped out an education for girls that included Bible training. In 2013, Uhuru Academy opened its doors.
Catherine Mitchell is the Director of Discipleship and Education at Uhuru. She says, “Many of our students come from poor backgrounds. But they do not allow that to hold them back.”
Uhuru Academy reaches out to people groups who don’t know Jesus. They offer scholarships to families that have little money.
There are 42 tribes in Kenya. Each tribe has its own language and culture. Many Uhuru students speak at least three languages!
Julie Garber is on the Board of Directors. “The favor of the boy child is still very real in Kenya. If a family has to choose to fund education, the boy is first.” She notes that girls in school have the chance to break the chain of poverty in a family. And Bible training breaks the chain of spiritual poverty.
Why? Children all over the world need a solid education and the good news of Jesus Christ. Knowing Him transforms the way we live and serve.
Pray students at Uhuru Academy will love Jesus and follow Him all their lives.
