About us
Makena’s Story – A Life of Joy, Courage, and Light
Michelle Makena Miriti lived a life that seemed to shimmer with purpose from the very beginning.
Her name, Makena — a Meru word meaning joyous or happy — was a prophecy she fulfilled every day of her twenty short years on earth. She carried joy in her smile, kindness in her words, and courage in her heart. To know Makena was to encounter a young woman full of laughter, faith, and an uncommon gentleness that drew people toward her.
Born on 20th March 2000, Makena grew up surrounded by love, curiosity, and creativity. She was deeply spiritual — a girl whose faith in God guided every step she took. Her world was painted with music, art, and nature; she saw beauty in the ordinary and possibility in the impossible. Whether sketching, singing, journaling, or simply sitting under a tree, she found ways to express life’s meaning through colour, rhythm, and words.
But beyond her artistic gift, Makena had a profound sense of empathy. When Lupus — a rare autoimmune disease — entered her life, she faced it not with despair, but with grace and determination. Even on difficult days, she chose to smile, to serve, and to inspire. She became a quiet voice of encouragement for others facing pain or uncertainty, often reminding those around her that “joy is not the absence of struggle — it is the decision to hope anyway.”
Her illness may have tested her body, but it never broke her spirit. Through every hospital visit, prayer, and conversation, Makena lived with a radiant strength that touched everyone around her — classmates, teachers, doctors, church friends, and family alike. She had a gift for turning her challenges into lessons and her faith into action.
On 20th March 2020 — exactly twenty years after her birth — Makena completed her journey on earth. The day was not an end, but a beginning of something greater. Her life, filled with purpose and compassion, had planted seeds of hope that would soon grow into a legacy — a Trust that would carry forward her dreams.
The Trust Pillars
Carrying Her Light Forward
When Makena passed on, she left behind more than memories — she left a vision. Every cause she loved, every principle she lived by, became a foundation upon which the Michelle Makena Miriti Trust (MMMT) was built.
Each of the four Trust Pillars is a living reflection of Makena herself — her interests, her beliefs, and her mission to heal and uplift. They transform her story into ongoing work, allowing others to live out the joy, creativity, and compassion she so effortlessly embodied.
Health & Fitness – Wholeness of Body and Mind
Makena’s journey with Lupus awakened in her a desire to understand health — not just as the absence of illness, but as balance, wholeness, and peace. She often spoke of the need to nurture both the physical and emotional self.
The Health Pillar honours her resilience by advocating for Lupus awareness, supporting patients and families affected by chronic conditions, and promoting wellness education for youth and communities. It’s about empowering people to take charge of their health — with courage, faith, and hope.
Environment – Healing the Earth as She Healed Hearts
Makena loved the outdoors — the calm of trees, the rhythm of rain, the life in every green leaf. She believed that nature was God’s art, and that caring for it was an act of worship.
The Environment Pillar continues this passion through tree-planting drives, sustainable landscape projects, and eco-awareness campaigns like the Bamboo Riverbank Restoration Project. Each sapling planted is a tribute to her belief that healing the earth and healing ourselves are deeply intertwined.
Art & Creatives – The Voice of the Soul
To Makena, art was prayer, expression, and medicine. She painted, danced, wrote, and dreamed — using creativity to communicate what words could not.
The Art & Creatives Pillar nurtures this same spirit by supporting young artists, musicians, poets, and dancers. Through exhibitions, mentorship programs, and creative initiatives, it gives young people a platform to explore their potential and find purpose through artistry — just as Makena did.
Gospel & Ministry – Living Faith Out Loud
Makena’s faith was the cornerstone of her identity. She lived it out with quiet conviction — through compassion, generosity, and service to others.
The Gospel Pillar continues her ministry of love by spreading the message of Christ, supporting community outreach, and encouraging acts of charity. This is how her voice still echoes — not through words alone, but through lives transformed by faith.
Together, these four pillars represent more than programs — they form a bridge between Makena’s heart and humanity’s hope.
The Founding Story – Turning Grief into Purpose
The Michelle Makena Miriti Trust was formally founded on 20th March 2025, exactly five years after Makena’s passing. The date was chosen intentionally — not as a remembrance of loss, but as a celebration of divine purpose. Remarkably, the day also coincides with the International Day of Happiness, a global reflection of what Makena’s name and life stood for.
In the quiet days following her passing, her parents — Mr. Peter Miriti and Mrs. Jane Miriti, her siblings Victor Muthomi Miriti married to Dr. Sharon Muthomi and Ronny Nthamburi Miriti — found themselves asking how they could preserve her spirit beyond memory. Every story told, every photo shared, and every life she had touched made it clear that Makena’s impact could not simply fade away.
Out of shared grief emerged a sacred calling — to transform pain into purpose. Gathered around family prayer and reflection, they envisioned a Trust that would keep her vision alive. What began as tears soon turned into plans, and what was once heartbreak became healing.
Today, the Trust is a living testament to a family’s love made public — a collaboration of hearts determined to turn tragedy into transformation. It brings together friends, relatives, and supporters who believe, as Makena did, that every life has a divine assignment, and that joy, even in loss, can be reborn as light for others.
Mission, Vision, and Values
Vision
Building health, wealth, and happiness in society within a conserved environment transcending godly generations.
Mission
To galvanise community action for healthy and happy generations through initiatives that focus on the holistic well-being of individuals and society. The Trust applies integrated approaches to personal health, environmental conservation and regeneration, creative and inspirational art, and Christian ministry.
Core Values
- Faith and Integrity – Guided by the Word of God, with honesty and humility in every action.
- Compassion and Service – Extending love to all, especially the vulnerable and the voiceless.
- Creativity and Innovation – Encouraging new ways to inspire, heal, and empower.
- Environmental Stewardship – Protecting and restoring God’s creation for future generations.
- Excellence and Accountability – Acting with responsibility, transparency, and measurable impact.
- Legacy and Empowerment – Keeping Makena’s light alive by equipping others to shine.
The Divine 20 – A Sacred Pattern of Purpose
Makena’s story carries divine fingerprints. She was born on 20th March 2000, laid to rest on 20th March 2020, and her Trust was established on 20th March 2025 — three milestones bound by the number 20, a symbol of redemption, divine order, and completeness.
Even more meaningfully, her full name — Michelle Makena Miriti — contains exactly 20 letters, and March 20th is globally celebrated as World Happiness Day. None of this can be coincidence. It is a testament that Makena’s life, brief as it was, was precisely timed — a divine appointment of joy.
Preserving a Legacy, Building a Future
Through every health campaign, every art exhibition, and every tree planted, the Michelle Makena Miriti Trust is building on Makena’s light.
It is a movement of healing, creativity, faith, and community — a reminder that the truest legacies are not measured by years lived, but by lives touched.
Makena’s story did not end in 2020. It continues — in every act of kindness, every inspired youth, every restored environment, and every heart that dares to hope again.
Honoring a Legacy. Inspiring Change.