The International Institute for Executive Training (iIET) was lucky enough to connect and support The Home of Good Shepherd orphanage in Kenya.

Below is a letter from the orphanage thanking the iIET for support….

The Home of Good Shepherd Orphanage in Kenya

I want to thank you again for your support and interest in the work we are doing at Home of Good Shepherd in Nyahururu. We are so grateful for your kindness and your desire to help. I wanted to give you some background information about our home.

The Home of Good Shepherd was established in 2007 in order to help the street children in Nyahururu. The home was started by Pastor Simon Mwaura and his wife, Lucy, who founded and manage God’s Grace for All Nations (GGFAN). GGFAN’s mission includes ministering to rural tribal groups, educating pastors, and managing the children’s home. The home is funded mainly by a United Methodist church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

There are 71 children living at the home. The youngest child is seven and the oldest just graduated university and is now looking for a position in the work force. Education is a high priority for us and we send all of our elementary children to private school. We depend on individuals to help us cover the costs of these school fees. We do not currently have enough sponsorships to cover all of these fees. There are 42 kids in primary school and 28 in either high school or trade schools. We believe a quality education is the key to a successful future and we strive to provide that to each of our children.

Good Shepherd is located on a five acre piece of land. On this property, we have constructed a boys’ dorm, a girls’ dorm, the kitchen, dining hall, staff house, livestock pens, and the missionary house. The rest of the property, approximately three acres, is used for our farm. We grow as much of our own food as possible and also keep cows, chickens, and rabbits as food resources. We do have a borehole and a shallow well on the property. We currently do not have running water at the home, however, and water is hauled by hand.

We face several challenges at the home. Our biggest challenge is a school. We would like to have our own school, where we can oversee the quality of education. There is a prejudice against orphaned children from both school staff and students in most schools and we often have to resolve conflicts due to this. Our own school would eliminate this issue as well as eliminate school fees for our children, currently our highest expense. Our own school would also be a source of income generation, since we would allow other students to attend, who would pay school fees.

We do have electricity at Good Shepherd, but it is unreliable and expensive. We are currently looking at solar panels to offset this expense. We would like to place them on the buildings with the highest electrical consumption, like the kitchen. This is a long term goal for us, since the initial cost for solar is significant.

Other projects we would like to implement at the home include an irrigations system for our crops and a new greenhouse. A greenhouse enables us to control the climate during droughts and ensure high production despite conditions. Our current greenhouse is five years old and in disrepair. Irrigation systems would ensure consistent watering and would reduce seedling loss.

Other projects include a trash incinerator, a library and resource room renovation, and the purchase of more livestock and construction of pens. All of these projects will improve the quality of life for our children.

We are so very greatful for your help and assistance.

God Bless You…