A Christmas story
A Kenyan slum is the new setting for a powerful film, Sami and the ultimate Christmas gift.
The brainchild of Spurgeon’s Academy in Kibera, the film follows an 11-year-old orphan’s search for a new-born king among the deprived community of Kibera, which is one of the largest slums in Africa.
All he has to offer the child is a toy car made from thrown-away scraps. In real life, Sami, played by Dickens Omondi, is one of 400 desperately poor children educated by the Academy.
Many children at the Academy have lost one or both parents to HIV-AIDS. Brett Pitchfork of the Academy said, ‘We wanted to go beyond the stylised African charity appeal video and use children and staff at the school as actors’.
Many other children were involved, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Some held boom mikes and light reflectors; other made props. The school choir sang and danced.
Mr Pitchfork said, ‘We hope our resources will inspire people of all ages to go further and give in surprising, selfless ways to support vulnerable children who will never be able to return the favour. There’s something special and rewarding to give in this way. Indeed, it’s the way God gives to us every day of our lives’.
For more information and to download the free video, visit www.spurgeons-christmas.org/
