Slum children from north India receiving a quality education in one of pastor Prince’s homemade “classrooms”

Dear Friends,

As he helps clear out unused rooms and living areas in the homes of his parishioners, pastor Prince is creating new school classrooms. His desire is to provide an education, coupled with the gospel, to nearby slum children in his region of north India.

You might think that poor parents would jump at the chance for a free education for their children. Pastor Prince has discovered, however, that this is not the case in the slum. Many of the slum children have never attended school nor received any form of education because they spend their days working to bring in extra income for their impoverished families. After weeks of knocking on doors and begging parents, pastor Prince finally managed to sign up the first 50 students. Now, because of all the positive feedback from children and their parents, there are an additional 50 slum children hoping to attend next semester.

Passionately Providing Education for Slum Children

Pastor Prince is a passionate man who has sacrificially given of his own time and money in hopes of bettering life—both temporarily and eternally—for those in the slum. When we partnered with him to purchase desks and blackboards for his homemade classrooms, we were surprised to learn that he’d spent days making the desks himself in order to save money. He asked me to pass the following message on to you because of your compassion for the slum children he is serving:

May the Lord reward you for what you have done for these poor children here in north India. It will be a permanent investment for the school here.

The Heaven’s Family Education Fund invests in projects that will continue to minister to children for years to come. These gifts that “keep on giving” not only bring education to slum children, but also improve the economy of the local community by eventually placing more educated workers in the workforce.

On behalf of everyone who benefits, thanks so much!

Director, Education Fund

Some of the children at their new desks provided by Heaven’s Family

Naomi Nkinyi preparing dinner for the orphans at Lynsi Love Orphanage

I’ve got a great story to tell you about how your gifts to the Education Fund are making it possible for one of many grateful orphans to receive an education and life skills that will help her to become self-sufficient.

Many African orphans cannot attend school, as paying school fees becomes impossible. They consequently lack the neccesary education needed to get jobs or start their own businesses. To give older orphans a chance, our good friend, pastor Peter Kingoro, has opened an entrepreneurship program just for them. They are trained in business skills or tailoring, depending on their preference.

The letter below was a scholarship request that we received from a young Christian woman in Nairobi, Kenya, who, because of your compassion, is now benefiting from the training and education she is receiving in Peter’s entrepreneurship program:

Dear Heaven’s Family,

I am Naomi Nkinyi born 21 years dropped out of school at primary school level. My parents died in the tribal clashes in the famous Mt. Elgon. I was only 11 year. I was taken in by my auntie who made me a slave as I could only wake up at 4:00am to cook for everybody before going to school. This abuse affected me mentally and performed poorly in class. I found no love from my auntie and her husband.

After my primary school, they made me house maid and did not even gave me anything to meet my needs. This prompted to seek for love in a wrong way. I was involved in fornication got pregnancy and was thrown out of that home. I married the young guy who also did not have parents. I am currently cook for orphans at the orphanage, but need sponsorship to pursue entrepreneurship course. This will help start catering to do hotel business and have a bright future for myself and my family.

Naomi Nkinyi

The entrepreneurship course Naomi refers to in her letter is a six-month course that only costs $90. After receiving six similar letters from older Christian orphans, we granted them all scholarships to pay for their entrepreneurial training. We hope to report on these orphans’ success stories once they graduate and start their own businesses. Your compassion is truly a dream come true for Naomi and the other five students!

You’re Helping to Provide an Education for Orphans and Young Adults Around the World

100% of all contributions to the Education Fund are used to provide schooling and education for poor children and young adults around the world.

Thanks so much.

Director, Education Fund

Rebecca, Joseph and Hellen are all students who have received HF scholarships for the entrepreneurship course

Five marafiki (“friends” in Swahili) at the Mission to Homeless Children in Morogoro, Tanzania

After flying back to Nairobi last night, we caught a one-hour flight to Tanzania this morning and then drove three hours to Morogoro, where we’ve been helping another orphanage, Mission to Homeless Children, for the past five years. We produced a video about Mission to Homeless Children three years ago (that you can see by clicking here), in which I asked for help to construct an adequate home for the thirty children there, most of whose parents had died of AIDS. Their current rented facility was less than adequate. Although our faith has been challenged and we’ve faced many hurdles along the way, three years and $140,000 later, the new building is finally done.

After a late lunch meeting with the director, Robert Simba, and his ministry’s board members, we drove to the new building, where all the children (now forty-four in number) were waiting for us. I had not seen them for three years, and quite a few have become young adults. I was reminded once again of the need to do what we can to promote our Education Fund, as school fees increase significantly when children enter high school, and our $20-per-month sponsorship is not enough to cover what is needed. In any case, it was great to be with them all again.

Simba gave us a tour of the new building. Although I had received scores of progress photos of the construction during the past three years, seeing it in person gave me a greater appreciation for the work that had been done. To build a similar building in the U.S. would have cost at least three times as much.

Robert Simba, his wife Veronica, and most of the children in front of their new building

After our tour, we were blessed to enjoy the children’s singing inside the building’s dining hall. Their worship, in typical African harmonies, was enhanced by the acoustics of an empty room, and it was so beautiful that it was hard for us to hold back our tears.

The new building is finished, and all that is lacking are beds, some other furniture, and a well to provide a steady supply of water. So those are the things for which we (and they) are looking to the Lord. If anyone reading this is burdened to help, the Dorms for Orphanages Fund is the means. Also, only 23 of the 44 children are sponsored, and so Mission to Homeless Children is really struggling for their daily needs. I took portraits of all the children, but it will be a few weeks before they are posted at the Orphan’s Tear website. You can, however, see a few of them below. If you are interested in sponsoring one of the unsponsored children at Mission to Homeless Children, send Emily an email at Emily@HeavensFamily.org.

Tomorrow we’re taking all the children on a field trip to see some giraffes, hippos and, if we’re really blessed, some lions. — David

Vicky Michael (I believe that Vicky, and her sister, Lucy [next photo], are still unsponsored)

Lucy Michael

Pascal Mogella

Sophi Thomas

Jennifer Koba

Andrea Ngoda

Rukia Atuju

Alex Martin, who is always smiling (I suspect that Alex may be unsponsored as well)