High school should be for everyone

Our youngest daughter graduated from high school last night and, needless to say, I am very proud of her for that accomplishment. But it got me to thinking of our attitude about school here in the States compared to our friends/family in Kenya.

Here in the states parents expect, and even take for granted that their children will attend school. And the kids, even though they may not like it, expect that they will have to attend.

In Tala where Nice View Academy is located, we have families who can only afford to send one child to school and if they can’t afford to send a child to school many will pray for a school like Nice View to take them in as a sponsored child. If the child is an orphan some show up at the gate of Nice View hoping to be taken in, others are brought in by a “well-wisher” who found the child and is requesting the school take care of them. Otherwise they would not be able to attend school.

Even if a family can afford to send them to school (primary school goes from Nursery to 8th grade) many can not afford secondary school (high school) so the student will have to drop out after 8th grade. What do they do then? If they can find work they will work to help the family, or if no work is available they will help with the farming to feed the family and possibly sell some produce to make a bit of money. If the child is an orphan they will try to find family to take them in, but there they are treated as slaves not family.

Saved By God’s Grace is working on completing a new school at Nice View. Your support is needed to complete the building which will educate at least 500 students! And the orphans currently at Nice View will have a secure future in knowing they will attend school through 12th grade.

My prayer is to have all our kids in Kenya complete primary then secondary school and go onto university if they want. I would love for them to “expect” to have to attend school rather than praying they will be able to attend.