LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - STEPHEN
Stephen, whom we always call Steve, was born on 13th January 2007 to Alice Thithi and Maina. He is the second born in a family of five children. He was born in Githurai, Nairobi County. From what he can remember, they were living with his aunt. He would later learn that this was because, when he was still an infant, his father was very abusive to their mother and had threatened to kill the children. They were rescued by their aunt, who is his mother’s sister.
While still very young (he cannot remember the exact year), they relocated to Nakuru after his mother found a job in Nakuru town. Their grandmother was living in a nearby village, so the children stayed with her while their mother worked in town and visited them on weekends. Steve joined Mahiga Primary School in the preschool unit in 2012 and later proceeded to Grade One in 2014.
In 2015, when he was in Grade Two, his mother remarried and the family moved to their stepfather’s home in a different village called Wanyororo, still in Nakuru County. He joined Muguathi Primary School, continuing in Grade Two. In 2016, for reasons unknown to him, they moved again from Wanyororo to Magina, a village near Kijabe, where they rented a one-room house. They had only the mattresses they carried with them, having sold all their other possessions to raise bus fare. Later, their landlord assisted them with a couch.
This was a very hard time for the family. They often survived on one meal a day, as neither parent had a steady income. Steve was enrolled at Kago Primary School in Grade Three, but staying in school was a struggle due to lack of school fees. His stepfather later secured a day labour job in Gichiengo, another village near Kijabe, and the family moved there. Unfortunately, the job did not last long, and once again Steve was out of school due to lack of fees. By this time, he was in Grade Four. It was during this period that Winfred, our director at Green Pastures Child Development Centre, was introduced to the family and became aware of their struggles.
In 2018, when Little Lambs opened an opportunity to admit older children, Steve automatically qualified and was enrolled. He transferred to Kiambogo Primary School and joined Grade Five. In 2022, he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and joined Riabai High School the same year. In 2025, he sat for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with one clear goal in mind: to gain skills in automotive mechanics.
Today, Steve is pursuing that goal. He has joined our team at Kijabe Practical Garage, where he is learning all he can as he prepares to sit for the government exams in automobile mechanics. He is very excited and deeply grateful to God for the ministry of Little Lambs and the impact it has had on his life.
LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE
Every child has a story, and behind each one is a journey shaped by both hardship and hope. Little Lambs, Big Hope is a blog post series that shares the real-life journeys of children growing up in vulnerable circumstances within our communities in Kenya. These are not distant stories or anonymous numbers; they are the lived experiences of boys and girls whose daily lives have been shaped by poverty, instability, and loss. Yet within these stories, we also see resilience, courage, and the quiet strength that comes when hope is nurtured.
Through this series, we will introduce the children whose lives have been touched by the ministry of Shepherd’s Little Lambs. Each post will tell the story of a child—where they come from, the challenges they have faced, and how consistent care, education, and faith-filled support are helping to shape a different future. These stories are shared to honor the children, to bear witness to what God is doing through this ministry, and to show what becomes possible when compassion is put into action.
To our current donors and supporters, thank you. Your faithfulness, generosity, and prayers are woven into every story shared here. As you read along, we invite you to keep walking with us—by praying, by sharing these stories, and, if you feel led, by supporting this work.
Together, we are helping little lambs grow in hope, dignity, and promise.
ROADS and SCHOLARS - PART THREE - BERNICE'S STORY
Bernice was born on August 28, 2006, to Isaac Mwangi and Esther Njeri in Maingi Village, Kiambu County.
She began her education in January 2010 at King’atua Primary School, where she completed her early childhood and primary studies. In 2017, she transferred to Kiambogo Primary School after joining the Shepherd’s Little Lambs family, made possible through her mother Esther’s employment with Little Lambs in Kijabe. The move allowed Bernice to remain actively involved with Little Lambs despite the distance from her previous school.
In March 2021, after delays caused by COVID-19, Bernice sat for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and performed well. She went on to attend Gachoire Girls High School from August 2021 until October 2024, when she completed her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. Her strong academic performance qualified her for university admission as a regular student.
With a natural strength in the humanities and social sciences, Bernice has been placed at Masinde Muliro University to pursue a degree in Social Work.
Beyond the classroom, Bernice served as Chairperson of the Music and Drama Club and is an active member of the AIC Grace Community Church youth group.
Bernice is deeply grateful for the care, encouragement, and support she has received from Shepherd’s Little Lambs over the years—and her journey is just beginning.
ROADS and SCHOLARS - PART TWO
This week we share part two of our Roads & Scholars story, made possible by our Partners in Purpose at Great Lakes Church in Kenosha, WI.
Two years ago, we partnered with East Africa Partnership (EAP), whose work helps students with the academic ability to continue on to college. While Shepherd’s Little Lambs focuses on guiding students through high school, this partnership opened the door to something more—college opportunities for some of our “lambs.”
Recently, EAP shared that one of our graduates, Bernice, qualified to pursue a degree in social work but lacked funding for this year. When Great Lakes Church heard her story, they stepped in and included Bernice in their Christmas offering.
Thank you, God—and thank you to everyone at Great Lakes Church who gave so generously. You are changing lives, especially Bernice’s. ❤️
Stay tuned next week to hear more about Bernice’s dreams and the journey that brought her here.
ROADS & SCHOLARS - PART ONE
Today we begin a three-part story—Roads & Scholars—made possible by one of our Partners in Purpose, Great Lakes Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
You might notice there is no heavy machinery being used. This is a very manual labor intensive process.
We begin with roads—specifically, the rutted dirt and grass track that serves as the only access route for delivering supplies to our rural Kijabe Child Development Center. During the rainy season, which seems to last much of the year, this “road” becomes treacherous, even with four-wheel drive.
After enduring several years of heavy rains, improving the road to make it passable in all weather conditions became a priority. The challenge, unsurprisingly, was funding. We moved forward with the project even though the financial resources were not yet in place. As so often happens, God provided exactly what we needed—right when we needed it.
Enter Great Lakes Church and their Christmas offering. I was amazed by two things: the number of ministries they committed to support, and that Shepherd’s Little Lambs was included. Even more incredible, their gift will provide enough funding to replenish our school fee account, which had been drawn down by the road construction.
Thank you, God—and thank you to everyone at Great Lakes Church who gave sacrificially this Christmas. You are a blessing to many!
If you’d like, I can make this slightly shorter or adjust it for email, newsletter, or social media use.
We included our gate area and the driveway up to our classrooms.
CHRISTMAS IN KIJABE
Jambo,
What a blessed day we had! We shared a beautiful Christmas celebration with all our children, staff members, caregivers, and friends. The turnout was overwhelming—the Green Pastures hall was completely full, and our chairs could not accommodate everyone. Thanks be to God, everyone found a place to sit, even if it meant sitting on the floor.
The day began at 1:00 p.m. with a delicious meal, which our staff and caregivers began preparing as early as 6:00 a.m. Despite the packed hall, there was enough food for everyone. Even visitors who arrived later were able to enjoy a meal.
After lunch, we were blessed with a message from Pastor Sarah, similar to the one she shared in Nakuru. The theme was “Who Is Christ That We Celebrate?” from Isaiah 9:6. Pastor Sarah also serves as the counselor at our Nakuru center. Pastor Ann, our counselor at Green Pastures, was scheduled to speak, but sadly she lost her brother in a tragic road accident the night before. Our thoughts and prayers are with her.
We then enjoyed presentations from the children, followed by greetings and words of encouragement from our visitors. We were honored to host many guests, including Irene, a former colleague of Grace from her time in real estate, who brought food bags to support eight families. Rose, Gracie’s colleague from the hospital, donated underwear, vests, and handkerchiefs for the children. Mumbi from the Kenya Forest Service gifted us tree seedlings, which we planted on the far side of the property, and she promised more to help cover the area.
We were also joined by Pastor Penninah from Kijabe Hospital; Mr. Kuria of the Kijabe Charity Initiative; Miss Blench of the Machani Charity Initiative; Pastor Thumbi, who has been a great encouragement to our staff; and Mr. Kinyanjui from the Kiambu County Council, a friend of Little Lambs Nakuru, who came with two friends. Many others joined us as well—it truly was a special atmosphere.
A particularly emotional moment came when Steve and Sammy, both high school graduates, shared greetings. They spoke about how they joined Little Lambs and how their lives have been blessed through the program. We also recognized the best-performing and most disciplined children.
The celebration concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony and sodas for everyone, followed by the distribution of gift bags to caregivers and mattresses to the children.
It was truly a wonderful day. We are grateful to God and to you for making this possible. I have attached a few photos from the day. Blessings to you.
Machaa
Steve and Sammy, now high school graduates, share their Little Lambs story
The unveiling of the Christmas Cake!
Cutting the Christmas Cake is a group event!
Preparing to distribute food to the caregivers…
This is a, bring your own bag, event…
CHRISTMAS IN NAKURU
We had a wonderful celebration at Nakuru. The kids were jubilant as well as the caregivers. Like always, the day’s program started with everyone enjoying a very delicious meal and then we all assembled outside for an inspirational Christmas message, followed by entertainment.
Entertainment session was very brief because it looked like rain could pour any moment, but it was still amazing. We then rushed to share the gift bag with the caregivers and in the middle of this it started raining.
The rains didn’t dampen the mood and we were able to hand out the mattresses to the kids. The mattresses were still in the plastic bags they came in and so there was no chance of them getting wet. We thank God for a wonderful day and thanks to you too for making the celebrations happen.
Blessings,
Machaa.
Scroll down to see loads of pictures
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Some of older students
Caregivers enjoying Christmas Party meal.
There was even a Christmas cake. The pieces enjoyed were very small.
The basics are so needed and appreciated
Cooking oil, Flour, Maze (corn), Rice, Sugar
Looks like the worlds biggest slumber party!
A SOFTER LANDING
A very special delivery!
Have you ever had a bad nights sleep? Was it stress? Was it illness? Was it a troubled relationship? All of these can interrupt our sleep.
For many of our kids its where they sleep. Specifically it’s often on a dirt floor…
Due to the generosity of one of our donors Shepherd’s Little Lambs is providing every home with a new mattress!
Sleep in heavenly peace…
Everyone helped haul the mattresses to our Kijabe facility for distribution!
Matresses stack in the dining hall for distribution at the Christmas Party!!
