Dream: To become a professional cosmetologist and transform her family’s future.

Meet Shirley Matilda

Age: 18
Hometown: Thika

Shirley is the eldest of five children, raised by their courageous mother, Moureen, after their father abandoned the family in 2018. Since then, the family has struggled to survive in a single-room home, often going without meals.

Despite her young age, Shirley takes on manual jobs to help her mother make ends meet. Much of what she earns goes toward caring for her younger brother, who suffers from a heart condition. The weight of responsibility and hardship once drove Shirley to the brink of depression, and she had nearly lost all sense of hope—until Soul and Seed reached out.

Through Soul and Seed, Shirley encountered compassion, faith, and a renewed sense of purpose. She is now a devoted follower of Christ and carries within her a deep desire to rise above her circumstances.

Shirley dreams of joining college to study cosmetology—a step she believes could change the course of her life and uplift her entire family. But with her mother struggling to provide even basic needs, education feels painfully out of reach.

Still, Shirley remains ambitious, resilient, and full of potential. She prays for someone to believe in her, to walk alongside her, and to invest in her dream.