Story number 4 for 2003-08-19

(USA)–Next, the high school dropout rate continues to climb on many Native American reservations. Leon Matthews with “The Lakota Training and Leadership Institute” in South Dakota, works at bringing in Christians to help his people make a better life for themselves. “We want to help develop our people and we believe that it’s through Jesus Christ that dignity can be restored and through the dignity of Jesus we can hope to build our community on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.” Half of the reservation is under the age of eighteen and there’s a seventy-percent high school dropout rate among that group. Matthews says they are working with several Worldwide Christian Schools to develop an after-school-program. The goal: “Use the literacy programs as well as mentorship and discipleship to encourage youth to finish High School and we’re excited that we can try to build the kingdom of God through this effort.”