Kindness makes the impossible possible

During World War II when she was a little girl, Hilde Back lived in Nazi Germany. Both her parents died in concentration camps, but a stranger's kindness helped her escape to Sweden. She grew up to be a school teacher, but never forgot her girlhood in Germany where she was denied an opportunity to attend school under Nazi Nuremberg Laws. So she decided to pay for the education of a child who could not otherwise go to school.

The child she sponsored was Chris Mburu. He lived in Kenya, and his family could not afford to pay for his education beyond elementary school. Hilde paid his way through secondary school, and he went on to earn degrees from the University of Nairobi and Harvard Law School. In 2001 he created a foundation to help other children from poor families continue their education. He even tracked down his benefactor, and named the foundation in her honor. It has now helped over 650 poor children continue their studies. In 2012, Hilde traveled with Chris to Kenya, where she celebrated her 90th birthday and met many child helped by the foundation that bears her name.