Remembering George Floyd
“He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the LORD
require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8 ESV
A photo from Kibera slums in Nairobi Kenya
Hello from Minnesota.
This has been an unusual and difficult time here in town - really all across the U.S. We have been so saddened by the loss of George Floyd’s life, as well as the division and injustice it represents. A verse in the book of James has been on my mind, “My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?” (James 2:1, NLT) James used rich and poor as the divider, but it could be anything, not only ethnicity or color of our skin. Jesus pointed out injustice and prejudice in His ministry and in His parables; He showed how women, Samaritans and lepers were treated at that time.
Africa has more than its share of injustice and abuse at the hands of its leaders and those in authority. I recently read of a World Bank investigation into siphoning of aid funds around the world. The findings showed that between 1990 and 2010 an estimated $3.28 billion dollars were taken by Kenyan elite and put into countries that are “safe havens” for stolen funds. This really highlights the need for Daystar educated servant leaders in Africa!
COVID-19 Student Relief Fund Giving Update
Fundraising Target: $119,000
Funds Raised to Date: $65,511
Thank You! Your generous giving through Daystar U.S. has had the following impact:
* International student support for accommodation, food and other requirements.
* One-time support for 141 students struggling financially.
* Internet support for 4,285 students to attend online classes.
We are grateful to everyone who has prayed and given to meet this need. You have helped 141 students with their fees and over 4,000 with internet data so they can continue to study! It is amazing that you have helped so many and yet we are just more than halfway to our goal! Just imagine how many more we can assist this year!
Update from Carol Mwangi, Daystar Athi River Campus Administrator
Caroline Mwangi lives on the Athi River campus where she has been meeting the needs of international students and overseeing student services during the Covid-19 crisis. She was gracious to share an update on the situation at the Athi River campus.
“We have a few students on the Athi River campus, all international students. They eat from the dining hall, the University is catering for their food and accommodation. We've tried to ensure that the students observe social distance by allocating each student a room, no sharing rooms.
We had one scary incidence... one Tanzanian student who had been accommodated by their family friend in Nairobi requested to come back to Athi River Campus during this lockdown period citing a challenging situation with her host. She called the University and pleaded to be accommodated on Campus. We had no choice but to take her in. My other students got very worried mixing with her but we reassured them that measures were in place to keep everyone safe. So, we kept her away from the other students, housed her in Bethel hostel and ensured food was taken to her room and told her, she couldn't eat with the rest in the Dining Hall. We quarantined her 14 days and she is now safe to mix with the rest. We thank God.
Apparently, at the beginning, they were a bit anxious but they now seem to enjoy living with us here on campus. We encourage them to use the sports field and gym for work outs. They can enjoy the free WiFi on campus and watch TV and get to know what's happening in the world. Our chaplain Rev. Musili, uploads sermons every Tuesdays and Thursdays. We haven't heard any physical meetings since the government forbids it. Those on campus stay in and those off campus stays away until the lockdown ends”.
Caroline Mwangi, second from the right, shares an update with Daystar University leadership last year before the crisis of Covid-19.
