The lush green scenery of the mountains in and around Kikima, Kenya is truly beautiful! But it can mask the hash realities of life here. Families tend small patches of ground in the valley or on terraces that create giant steps going down the mountain – in the endless effort to grow food. Non-native eucalyptus trees have taken over the landscape, robbing the soil of water, and dropping leaves containing toxins that inhibit the seed germination that is needed to grow food crops. 

The ongoing struggle to feed a family from this deceptively harsh landscape is just the beginning, as children have limited opportunities to grow up healthy, educated, and equipped build a stronger life for their own children one day.  

To go to school, many children must walk a dangerously steep 1km goat path down the mountain. Water is scarce, clean drinking water even more so. And as Kenya has so many orphaned children due to HIV-AIDS, many elderly grandparents are farming these mountain plots and raising livestock in an exhausting effort to feed and care for their grandchildren.

This was Evan’s life – in many ways a beautiful one, orphaned but raised by his grandmother who loves Jesus and raised him in faith. They attended church when he was a child and, now in university, Evans’ faith is still vibrant – and he also still attends church regularly. 

“I believe that God helped me by enabling me to go high school and university. I am grateful! The additional support I received through having enough food to eat, and books to help me learn – it all helped me to focus and succeed.”  

But without the intervention of Hope Story’s Kenya partner, Creation of Hope, Evans would likely have given up on school as so many other kids here have done. The local country school had few resources, and as high school is not free in Kenya, he wouldn’t have had the chance to pursue his talent for science. 

Thanks to the generosity of a caring Hope Story monthly supporter, Evans started receiving education, nutrition, and health support when he was in grade six. He also received Christian teaching, and community support from the local church. He finished high school with wonderful grades, enabling him to go on to university with a Hope Story scholarship. 

Without early intervention, Evans would not currently be pursuing his BSc in microbiology. But this story of hope is not over!  

Evans, a committed Christian and a young man of strong character, has committed to his local pastor that he will give hope to other vulnerable children like himself in his home community in the mountains around Kikema. 

The need begins close to home. Evans has two young cousins who are also orphans. Their grandmother, now in her eighties, is also raising these children. This little family depends on milk and eggs from a few goats and chickens, as well as any food she can manage to grow. 

As he pursues his science degree, Evans’ primary interest is research, and he plans to help his own people in the future by focusing on medicine and disease prevention. And he has committed to give support to his grandmother as she raises his cousins, and to help strengthen his home community in the future – to become a place where children can thrive. 

We are grateful for everyone who helps at-risk children such as Evans to learn and grow in a caring Christian community – because helping hard-working, conscientious young people like Evans to finish high school and even go to university, creates a ripple effect of hope for the next generation!