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Jul 9, 2010

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." --William James

A Small Act

Chris Mburu feels fortunate to have received an education at all. Growing up in a mud house in Kenya, it seemed unlikely that he or his neighbors would escape a cycle of poverty. Today, Mburu is a Harvard Law School graduate and works as a human rights advocate for the United Nations. How did this happen? A small and consistent act of hope from a teacher in Sweden. Years ago, Hilda Back decided to sponsor a child in Kenya to go to school. While the 15 dollar monthly donation seemed insignificant to her, she kept it up because she thought even a small act was worth performing. Little did she know her small commitment would help educate and empower a whole generation of Kenyan children years later. Mburu started a foundation (named in Back's honor) to give other poor and promising children the same opportunity Back had given him. Their story has even been made into a documentary called "A Small Act," which airs July 12 on HBO.