LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - SERAH WANGUI

Serah Wangui was born on February 1st 2020 to James Kimani and Florence Wangari. She is the first-born child in a family of two children from Magina, Kiambu County.

Serah’s family lived in a small rented house where the entire family shared a single room that served as both the kitchen and bedroom. Serah’s father, James, sold roasted maize to motorists at a nearby matatu terminus in a place called Gichiengo. The business did not belong to him; he earned a commission of 7 Kenya Shillings (about 5 cents) for every piece of roasted maize he sold.

That small amount was not enough to support the family, so Florence helped by doing laundry for pay in the neighborhood. Even that work was not always available, and sometimes she would go an entire week without being hired.

Life was already hard for Serah’s family, but it was made even more difficult by domestic violence. Her father would beat her mother and, at times, even Serah, as he struggled with the frustrations of life.

The family could not afford to send Serah to school when she reached school-going age. Her mother learned about Little Lambs from neighbors whose children were already attending the program. She visited Little Lambs near Kijabe to find out if Serah could be admitted.

Serah’s situation was assessed, and she qualified to join Little Lambs. She was admitted in January 2025 and remains at the Green Pastures center, where she is now in PP2.

Serah is a joyful and sociable girl. She is hardworking in class and enjoys skipping rope, playing with hula hoops, and running.

It is also worth noting that the domestic violence in the home eventually became unbearable. Earlier this year, Serah’s mother made the difficult decision to leave her marriage. She rented a small, one-room house in the same village, but farther away from her husband’s home.

While life remains challenging, Serah is now in a safe environment where she can learn, grow, and experience the joy of being a child.

WANT TO BE A PART OF SERAH’S STORY?

 

LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - HANNAH WANJIK

Hannah Wanjiku was born on March 1st 2020 to Peter Kamau and Rebecca Wangui. She is the fourth-born child in a family of six children from Magina, Kiambu County.

Hannah lives with her mother and siblings in the absence of her father. Hannah’s father, Peter, had been living at his family’s homestead with his brothers and sisters—Hannah’s uncles and aunts. When he married Rebecca, he continued living at the family homestead, where they were blessed with six children.

However, from the beginning, Peter’s family did not accept Rebecca. They repeatedly pressured Peter to abandon Rebecca and the children and chase them away from the homestead. Eventually, he succumbed to the pressure and forced Rebecca and her children to leave. He later married another woman.

Rebecca rented a small, one-room house in the same village and began taking whatever casual labor she could find to support her children. Her work ranged from earning daily wages on neighboring farms to working on construction sites.

With six children, however, her limited income could only go so far. It became a huge struggle to provide enough food, pay the rent, and cover school fees for all the children.

In 2024, Hannah was supposed to start school, but Rebecca was in no position to pay for her education. Hannah therefore stayed at home.

Toward the end of that year, a well-wisher visited the family and brought them some food. After learning that Hannah was approaching five years old and had still not started school, the well-wisher told Rebecca about Little Lambs.

Rebecca visited Little Lambs, where she learned about the program and shared her family’s story. She asked if Hannah could join the ministry. The Little Lambs staff then carried out the verification process to determine whether Hannah met the criteria for the program. She did!

Hannah joined Little Lambs in January 2025 and is now in PP2 at Grenn Pastures near Kijabe.

When Hannah first joined Little Lambs, she was a reserved and shy girl. Today, she has blossomed into a very friendly child who enjoys being complimented. She is a good pupil in class and loves outdoor activities, especially swinging, sliding, and rolling tires.

WANT TO BE A PART OF HANNAH’S STORY?

 

LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - HARLEEN NGOY

Harleen was born on 8th June 2021 to Eric Ngata and Lucy Wambui as the third-born in a family of four children in Manyani Estate, Nakuru County.

Both Eric and Lucy got married at a very young age. Her grandmother is not certain, but thinks they were either 16 or 17 years old. With limited education and no skills, their options in the job market were also very limited. Eric’s source of income was carrying goods on his shoulders in the market for pay, while Lucy did casual jobs, mostly washing clothes for people.

When Harleen was a few months old, Eric developed a mental illness that slowed him down and made him unable to consistently continue working at the food market. It became very difficult for Lucy to take care of her husband and children while still being able to do her casual work. Fortunately, her mother, Harleen’s grandmother, lived in the same neighborhood and took on the responsibility of caring for the children and her husband while Lucy went to work. The burden of caring for all four children and her husband was huge for both Lucy and Jane, Harleen’s grandmother.

Jane has lived in Manyani Village all her life and watched Little Lambs Center begin and grow. When the struggle became too much, she visited the center to request assistance. After meeting with the staff, it was determined that of the four children, Harleen met the criteria for admission. She joined Little Lambs in January 2026 in the PP1 class.

Harleen is a smart and courageous girl who can do activities in class with little supervision. She also enjoys outdoor activities like other children, including swinging, sliding, running, and singing games.

WANT TO BE A PART OF HARLEEN’S STORY?

 

LITTLE LAMBS, BIG HOPE - TWINS, MATTHEW AND PETE

Peter and Matthew were born on 24th December 2021 to Josphat Gichuki and Margaret Nduta. They are the third and fourth children in a family of four from Boiman Village, Nyahururu, Nyandarua County.

Josphat was the sole breadwinner for the family through his boda boda business. He owned a motorcycle that he used to transport people and goods for a fee. Margaret was a stay-at-home mother. While Margaret was pregnant with the twins, Josphat walked out on the family, leaving her to fend for the children.

It was difficult for Margaret to make a living in Boiman, so after the twins were born, she relocated to Nakuru, a larger city with more opportunities for employment. Her sister, who lived in Nakuru, took her and the children in.

While staying with her sister, Margaret was able to start a small vegetable stand at the gate of her sister’s home. She sold vegetables and fruits to neighbors and others in the surrounding community.

However, in February last year, Margaret’s sister died after a short illness, leaving Margaret and her four children without the support she had depended on. Margaret could no longer afford the rent for the home they had been living in, so she moved to a less expensive house in Manyani, a neighborhood near the Little Lambs Nakuru center.

The move also meant that she could no longer continue operating her vegetable stand at her former residence. She began taking whatever casual work she could find, especially laundry and construction work.

It became a huge struggle for Margaret to feed all four children, pay the rent, and keep them in school. A woman whom Margaret had met several times when she had been hired to do laundry began helping her with food from time to time. This woman told Margaret about Little Lambs and encouraged her to visit the center to see if the ministry could assist her family.

Margaret visited the Little Lambs Nakuru center, where she met with members of the staff and learned more about what Little Lambs does. After hearing about the ministry, she asked if the twins could be admitted into the program.

Peter and Matthew joined Little Lambs in January 2026 after the family went through the verification process and the boys were found to meet the program’s criteria. They are now in PP1 at the center.

Both boys enjoy outdoor activities such as rolling tires, running, and swinging. They are both jovial, with Matthew being the more courageous of the two. He also enjoys singing and is confident enough to stand in front of the other children and lead them in prayer.

WANT TO BE A PART OF MATHRE & PETER’S STORY?

 

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT!

I have vivid recollections of waking up in a rural setting on a tropical island. On our first morning there, I was awakened at 5:30 a.m. by a crowing rooster. I smiled and, thanks to travel fatigue, drifted back to sleep.

It was quaint—maybe even cute—until the next morning, when that bird started crowing even earlier and never seemed to stop. I remember thinking, “What in the world is he crowing about? Especially this early!”

Today, Little Lambs has a lot to crow about! We recently took delivery of our first 75 chicks. 🐥

This project is being closely monitored by a veterinarian, because we know these early days and weeks are critical to the chicks’ health and to the long-term sustainability of our chicken coop.

We’ll continue to keep you posted on the chicks’ progress. There will definitely be more to crow about!

WHAT CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?

For Shepherd’s Little Lambs, the answer is easy—it was generosity that came first!

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, this project has finally been hatched. What began as a dream is quickly becoming a reality.

Take a look at the chicken coop construction photos, and stay tuned—there will soon be even more to crow about!

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.

WANT TO BE A PART OF JOHN’S STORY?

 

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.

WANT TO BE A PART OF ANGEL’S STORY?

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.