TO ALL OF YOU FROM
THE ENTIRE SHEPHERD’S LITTLE LAMBS FAMILY
MERRY CHRISTMAS IN SWAHILI
CHRISTMAS IN KENYA
On Tuesday those that care for our “Lambs” gathered to receive a special Christmas bag of food. It was a good time of socially distanced and masked interaction. The children were in school and only have the weekend off for Christmas. This is because of the new school calendar after the COVID school closures.
There will still be a Christmas party for the children. It will just happen around Easter when there will be a slightly longer school break.
These gifts of food are made possible by those who faithfully support Shepherd’s Little Lambs!
Thank You!
LET THERE BE LIGHT!
It was 24 months ago that the project to bring electricity to our Green Pastures education center began. The rural setting meant we would have to bring power from the main road a quarter mile away to our gate. Then we would need to run lines 125 meters to our buildings.
Differing expert opinions about the equipment required, expanding costs, a pandemic, a shortage of equipment is all that stood in our way. By the grace of God, the patience and persistence of our staff and the generous hearts of our donors we now have lights in our classrooms at Green Pastures!
Thank you to all who made this possible. Enjoy the pictures!
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We had to wait a while for this.
Security lights too!
The final piece of equipment we have been waiting for - the meter
WE'RE COOKING WITH GAS!
We are literally cooking with (bottled) gas now at both of our child development centers.
Cooking on a wood fire, or stove, is a way of life for most in Kenya but especially the poor. This practice has contributed to deforestation challenges on the continent of Africa. It tends to be dirty and brings health risks to those who do the cooking.
Through the generous donation of a friend of Little Lambs we have converted both kitchens to cook with bottled gas. In this way we are able to provide healthier working conditions for our kitchen staff and contribute in a small way to a cleaner environment in Kenya.
This change also brings additional operational costs since the bottled gas is more expensive than the firewood that was often supplied by Little Lambs families. The additional monthly cost is not huge but we are always careful when adding ongoing expenses. If you would like to help with these new costs, you can find information on ways to give HERE.
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Unloading the new stove hood
The new gas cookers
Installing the new hood over the stove
The new stove at our Nakuru Learning Center
Cooking on a wood fire outside while the installation is underway.
SCHOOLS REOPEN (AGAIN) IN KENYA!!
The schools in Kenya reopened last week after a one month furlough. Since there is no such thing as e-learning for the children that Little Lambs serves this is extremely goods news. Both our pre-schools are operational and we have resumed daily meals at each of our education centers.
We are thankful to God that there have been NO confirmed cases of COVID-19 for any of our children or staff!
The economic impact on the families we serve, who struggle in the best of times, has been devastating. Your generosity has allowed Little Lambs to provide food to our “lamb” families during the pandemic. Thank you for your continued financial support.
COVID-19 KENYA UPDATE - NEW LOCKDOWNS PUT IN PLACE
This just in from Machaa Samual Little Lambs National Director.
President Uhuru Kenyatta announces new Covid-19 measures :
1. Cessation of movement by road, rail and air in and out of the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru till further notice.
2. No in-person meetings of any kind in the counties of Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Kiambu and Nakuru till further notice.
3. Parliament asked to go on recess as well as the regional Houses mentioned above.
4. Curfew to begin at 8pm and end at 4am in the counties of Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Kiambu and Kajiado.
Other counties curfew will go on as currently is, being from 10pm to 4am.
5. Government vacates all curfew passes until a review by the Ministry of Interior is done.
6. In-person worship in Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Kiambu, and Kajiado suspended till further notice.
Other counties to be allowed in person religious engagements but to adhere to the one third rule of capacity of religious institutions.
7. Bars are suspended from operating in Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Kiambu and Kajiado. Restaurants and eateries in the said counties shall provide takeaway services only and are banned from selling alcohol.
8. Schools, including universities closed. No further in-person learning.
9. All employees of private and government bodies are directed to have employees working from home until further notice, except those where services cannot be provided remotely.
10. All hospitals asked to limit number of visitors to patients to just one per patient.
11. All permitted gatherings to have not more than 50 people. Funerals to be conducted within 72 hours of confirmation of death with just a total of 50 people. Marriage other similar events to have a total of 30 people.
12. Those above 58 to be vaccinated in first phase.
I think it was just in order for us to close the centers. You will notice that the regions of Kiambu and Nakuru where we have our centers, are among the five most affected counties. Continue praying with for God to keep our kids, their families and all of us safe.
Blessings,
Machaa
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MORE CHALLENGES IN KENYA
This video was shot about a couple of weeks ago and was presented at Immanuel Church in Gurnee IL this past Sunday. Some information is already obsolete.
Today by government order, we have closed our learning centers during semester break due to a COVID-19 surge in the Rift Valley School region. It is import to note that this outbreak is not in the schools, but has taxed the fragile medical infrastructure of the area. This is the reason given for this order.
In response we are shifting back to our pandemic operation strategy which is outlined in this video. Please pray that public schools will reopen soon so the work of Shepherd’s Little Lambs can continue unhindered.
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SCHOOLS OPEN IN KENYA!!
Daily temperature and wellness checks.
The schools in Kenya reopened earlier this month. There was no such thing as e-learning for the children that Little Lambs serves so this is extremely goods news that we are grateful to God for. Our pre-schools are both operational and we have resumed daily meals at each of our education centers.
New protocols at school include daily temperature taking and wellness checks. Social distancing and masks continue to be a part of everyday life. We are thankful to God that there have been NO confirmed cases of COVID-19 for any of our children or staff!
The economic impact on the families we serve, who struggle in the best of times, has been devastating. Your generosity has allowed Little Lambs to provide food to our “lamb” families during the pandemic. Thank you for your continued financial support.
Washing up before lunch.
WHAT DID YOU DO THIS SUMMER?
For the second year in a row Ava, a student at Bethel Academy in Morton IL helped raise money to benefit Shepherd’s Little Lambs.
This year with the help of friends, Luke and Avery, they held a garage sale that raised $191.50 to help poor children in Kenya. These grassroots efforts are so heart warming and appreciated. Thank you Ava, Luke and Avery!!
You can help too!
REMEMBERING JOSEPHAT
It is with a heavy heart that we tell you that Josephat, our dear friend, grandfather to some of our “lambs” and the groundskeeper/security man at our Green Pastures development center passed away Sunday. Josephat was always quiet, but had a ready smile. He has been an integral part of the Little Lambs family for over 15 years. He was always involved in every project that came along. We will miss him greatly. Please pray for his family as they grieve this loss.
It is a cultural expectation that the employer takes on the financial responsibility for funeral cost. Our financial responsibility will be in the neighborhood of $750. Please give, if you can, to help with these costs.
Never one to miss out on the fun, here is Josephat taking a turn with the water ballon slingshot in 2018.
We will miss you! Until we meet again one day…
Josephat with one of his grandsons Zach back in 2005. Zach, now a young man, has graduated from high school and received welding training all because of Josephat’s commitment to his family and to Little Lambs.
Josephat (middle) with some of our grounds staff in 2017.