Hilde Back never wanted to be a hero. But she was in the eyes of Chris Mburu, the young student whose education she sponsored. Hilde's small contribution gave Chris hope, and as an adult, Chris wanted to pass that hope on to other kids in his village. He started a scholarship program and named it after his former benefactor-- The Hilde Back Education Fund.
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Chris and Hilde met for the first time in 2003 at the HBEF dedication ceremony. It is here that Hilde learns of Chris' success-- earning a Harvard Law degree and working as a human rights lawyer for the United Nations. Chris is also surprised when he learns Hilde is not Swedish, but a German Jew who escaped the Holocaust. To this day, they continue to write and visit each other. Though Hilde's role in Chris' life began as a distant sponsor, they now share a genuine and unexpected friendship.