LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - JOHN NGURE

John Ngure was born on 13th June 2018 as the second child in a family of four children to Mark Kuria and Tabitha Wanjiku in Mai Mahiu Village, Nakuru County. John’s elder sister passed away when she was eight months old, and so he is now growing up with two siblings.

John is being raised by his mother. His father left the family because of pressure from his relatives, who did not approve of his marriage to Tabitha. Eventually, he succumbed to the pressure and abandoned the family. Tabitha then moved from Mai Mahiu and rented a one-room house in Magina.

She provides for the children through wages earned from doing laundry for neighbors and taking on any other available casual jobs. It has been very difficult for her to meet all the family’s needs, and at times the children have gone for a day or two without food. Taking them to school was almost impossible.

A community worker who noticed the struggles Tabitha was going through, and who also realized that John was already three years past school-going age without having joined school, came to Little Lambs and shared the family’s situation with the staff members. The staff later visited the family and found that the situation was indeed very difficult.

This happened at the beginning of this year, after Little Lambs had already completed assessments and admissions for new children, and all available slots had been filled. However, the situation in John’s home was so dire that it was impossible to look the other way. After consultation with the International Board, John was accepted and admitted to Little Lambs GP, where he joined PP1 towards the end of January.

John is a confident, neat, and self-driven boy. He is also quiet in nature and enjoys singing, playing soccer, running, and reciting Bible verses. He is very curious and loves learning new things.

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LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - ANGEL NYAMBURA

Angel Nyambura was born on 13th July 2022 as the third-born child in a family of three children to George Gitau and Ann Waithira in Korio Village, Kiambu County. Korio is a village bordering Kijabe on the western side.

Angel is being raised by her mother because her father walked out on the family when Ann was two months pregnant with her. Since then, he has played no role in supporting the family, and the full responsibility of raising the children has fallen on Ann.

Ann’s only source of income comes from casual labor on neighboring farms and at construction sites. Raising three children alone while depending on unreliable wages has been a great struggle and has affected the children’s education.

Last year, a neighbor who witnessed the challenges Ann was facing told her about a ministry called Little Lambs in Kijabe-Kiambogo that might be able to assist her. She immediately visited the GP Little Lambs center, met with the staff members, and learned more about the ministry. She then requested for Angel to become part of the program. Angel was added to the list of potential Lambs awaiting further assessment.

At the beginning of this year, Angel qualified to join the ministry and is now a PP1 pupil.

She is a joyful and friendly girl who loves being loved. She is hardworking in class and enjoys singing.

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THIS IS FOR THE BIRDS

Hunger is one of the obstacles to learning that we regularly face in Kenya. That is why feeding our “lambs” is such an integral part of what we do at Shepherd’s Little Lambs. Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet, but it is also one of the most costly components of the food we provide.

To help in our fight against hunger and increase access to high-quality protein, we are constructing a chicken coop at our Kijabe location. This project has been made possible by one of our generous donors who recognized the need and responded with compassion.

We especially love initiatives like this because of the many benefits they provide:

  • Improved access to high-quality food

  • The opportunity to teach children valuable skills through raising chickens and harvesting eggs

  • Support for the crops we already grow on our property

  • Greater environmental and financial sustainability

Check out the construction progress so far!


LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - MARY

Mary Ng’endo was born on 19th May 2007 to Ruth Mbaire in Dagoretti, Nairobi County, as the second child in a family of two. She was raised in Nairobi and began attending school at the age of four, though she does not recall the name of the school.

In 2016, while Mary was in Grade 4, her mother passed away after a long illness. With no relationship with her father and no extended family in Nairobi, Mary and her brother relocated to Mbauini, a village near Kijabe, to live with their grandmother. Sadly, her grandmother did not have the financial means to keep Mary in school, and for a time she remained at home. Her brother, being older, returned to Nairobi in an effort to earn a living.

In 2017, Mary was admitted into the Little Lambs program and was immediately enrolled at Kiambogo Primary Schoolin Grade 4. Adjusting to school after time away was difficult, and she repeated Grade 4 in 2018 in order to catch up. She persevered and continued with her studies, sitting for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in 2022. She passed her exams and joined Mbauini Secondary School the following year.

Mary is now in her final year of high school and is preparing to sit for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) at the end of this year. She enjoys playing soccer and is a member of her school’s team. She also sings in the school choir and actively serves in the praise and worship team at her local church, where she is also part of the youth group.

Mary hopes to pursue a career in fashion and design after completing high school.

It is important to note that last year Mary lost her brother to illness. This was a heavy blow, but she has shown great resilience and continues to do well. She has also received strong and consistent support from the Little Lambs family, which has been a great source of encouragement and stability in her life.

 

LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - SAMUEL

 

Today we share a short history of Samuel Njuki who we refer to most often as Sammy.

Samuel Njuki was born on 27th July 2005 to Teresiah Wanja in Molo, Nakuru county as the second born in a family of six children.  He grew up in Molo and when he was strong enough, probably at the age of four years, he started helping his mother alongside his elder sister to work on their grandmother’s farm. They were living on her farm and taking care of it as she had relocated to Kijabe. Unfortunately, the farm was not doing well to the extent that Sammy and her sister could not join school at the right time due to lack of finances.

In the year 2012, the grandmother, after seeing her daughter’s( Sammy’s mother) struggle, she had them relocated to Kijabe to be with her and also to the fact that there were better casual employment opportunities. In the same year, he joined Deliverance church pre school( two years later than he should have) but didn’t stay there for long, again there were financial difficulties, and he was transferred to Kiambogo primary school preschool unit. He was in and out of school due to lack of school fees. In the year 2015, on a visit by some Little Lambs board members to his house courtesy of his sister Rahab Waithira who was a Little Lambs, they found Sammy at home, out of school due to lack of school fees and also very hungry for he had not had any meal for the day. The situation was bad and the board members decided to have him join Little Lambs. He joined Little Lambs when he was in grade 2 at Kiambogo primary school.

 He continued in the same school and sat for his Kenya certificate of primary education in the year 2022 and joined King’atua secondary school in the same year( Covid-19 affected the school calendar). He studied there and sat for his Kenya certificate of secondary education last year, 2025. He knew from the onset that he wanted to be a mechanic and he didn’t waste anytime and joined KPG at the start of this year. He’s well motivated and we have faith that he will do well.

Blessings,

Machaa.

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 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.


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