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 neighbours 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.

When Holocaust survivor Hilde Back sponsored a young, rural Kenyan student, she thought nothing of it. She certainly never expected to hear from him, but years later she does.

Now Mburu decides to find the stranger that changed his life. Inspired by her generosity, he starts a scholarship program of his own and names it for his former benefactor.

The top students in Mukubu primary school are in the exact same situation as Chris once was. They are bright, but can’t afford to pay school fees. With the creation of Chris’s fund, these students have new hope. But the program is small; how many will qualify for a scholarship?

Using a strong narrative, the film interweaves seemingly separate lives into a cohesive whole. With clarity and grace, A Small Act bears witness to the ripple effect a single action can create.