Archives for January 2014

I just returned from my 13th visit to Kenya in the past seven years.  My overwhelming impression from this visit is that the core elements of the Primary and Secondary Programs are working incredibly well.

We have focused on improving our selection processes in the past year and I believe we are recruiting an ever-higher caliber of students.  This is important as we know that good students in primary school generally have the best chances of success when they become adolescents.

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Each year, students finishing 8th grade take the Kenya Comprehensive Primary Exam (KCPE) the results of which determine the caliber of high school they will attend.  Prioritizing success, we dedicate resources to maximize KCPE performance, recognizing its significance in shaping students’ future prospects.

For instance, the initiative motivates 8th graders to engage in focused tutoring, enhancing their readiness for the upcoming examination.

The KCPE is a 500-point exam; the national average in 2013 was 244.

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By Sally Kenney

During my first visits to Kenya, we visited a compound where Masai women could flee to avoid being cut or married off as girls to old men.  On this trip, I wanted to learn more about women’s activism and microenterprises.  As always, I was on the lookout for new birds.  But mostly, I wanted to spend more time with the children I sponsor.

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Naomi Kamanda was the first employee of Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF), and like all other NRCF employees, she began her work with the organization as a volunteer.

Naomi was born in Nairobi and lived in Kibera (the largest slum in Nairobi) for most of her childhood.   Her mother is a seamstress and her father works in the electronics field, primarily for a company in Tanzania.  She has four brothers and is now 26 years old.

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In 2013, we formed a partnership with an organization in Kenya called Digital Divide Data (DDD).  DDD is an organization in the business of converting hand-written records into digital form.   They also have a social mission – to provide impoverished high school graduates who achieve a C+ or higher the opportunity to get a university education. Marline was our first placement.

Marline – our first placement

In 2013, DDD admitted Marline to their program on a probationary basis for 12 months. After three months, Marline has received a strong performance review and she is now in the final nine months of her probation.

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