East Africa (MNN) — Most kids struggled during COVID lockdowns, whether the battlefields were academic or emotional.
For example, technology is widely available in the United States, yet shifting to a digital classroom during lockdowns wasn’t enough to prevent education loss. A study of 5.4 million students showed “significant” drops in math and reading scores during the 2020 and 2021 school years.
It’s a different story in East Africa, where Set Free Ministries partners with local believers to run Christian schools. “During COVID, when the schools shut down, we sent teachers into the villages to do homeschool,” Set Free’s International Director Dave McIntyre says.
“Now that the schools are back in operation, [we’re] finding that our students are much more advanced because they [were] educated during the lockdown.”
During a recent trip to East Africa, McIntyre met with Set Free’s partners, teachers, and students. “The teachers don’t see their work as a job, but a calling, and they understand the role of discipleship,” McIntyre says.
“It was amazing to see how much our team in East Africa has caught the vision. They’re self-motivated to do this. We’re not telling people what to do. They’re telling us what they’ve done.”
(Photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries)
Students at Set Free’s primary schools learn the standardized material required for national tests. Christian teachers also introduce kids to Jesus and the spiritual freedom He offers. You can help through monthly sponsorship.
“Many kids have been traumatized by demon worship and things like that. These kids are coming out of families [that] practice witchcraft, Islam, various religions,” McIntyre says.
“We’ve got about 3,600 kids [in our schools, and] about half now are believers, so that’s a huge mission field.”
Pray God will provide the resources needed to finish Light Academy, a vocational Christian high school. “We have 145 students currently at the high school, and we’re planning to expand that up until 2027,” McIntyre says.
In the header image, students worship the Lord at a Christian school supported by Set Free Ministries. (Photo courtesy of Set Free Ministries)