Friends of Ngong Road

Providing education and support to Nairobi children living in poverty whose families are affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Archives for July 2019

July 24, 2019 By Michon Garrett Leave a Comment

Mercy’s Story

Mercy joined our program in 2006 when she was 13 years old. Her mother had already died from AIDS, and her father died soon after in 2008 making her and her five siblings orphans. After graduating from Stephjoy High School in 2014, she attended St. Paul’s University and studied Community Development. She then interned for our sister organization, Ngong Road Children Association, and is now working for an organization called Every Girl Counts in Nairobi. 

Showing entrepreneurial spirit, Mercy is also a small business owner. She bought a car and started a one-car rental business through which she earns about as much as she earns in her job. She also volunteers for the Kenyan Red Cross, distributing sanitary supplies so girls are able to stay in school during their menstrual cycle. Mercy is a wonderful example of how the love, support and education our children receive can be transformed into a productive and generous life.

July 18, 2019 By Lacey Kraft Leave a Comment

Meet the Ngong Road Children Association Board of Directors

The board of our sister organization in Kenya, Ngong Road Children Association (NRCA), has dramatically strengthened its support and involvement over the last few years. The board in Kenya meets every other month to provide oversight and governance to the program and plays a direct role in helping graduates secure jobs by deploying their personal and professional networks. They additionally give of their time and energy by volunteering at camp, the Life Skills Program and other special events. The Ngong Road Children Association Board of Directors includes:

Patrick Kyalo. PatriPatrick Kyalock joined the NRCA board in April 2019. Patrick holds a Bachelors of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Nairobi, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Resources Management from the Kenya Institute of Management, and certificates in public relations, counselling and project management. He is currently undertaking a Masters of Science in Human Resources Management at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology.

Patrick has experience managing human resource programs and strengthening organization systems in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. He is currently working at Christian Health Association of Kenya. He has previously worked with Amref Health Africa (Kenya), OXFAM Great Britain (Kenya, South Sudan, and DRC), and Intrahealth International through the USAID Capacity Kenya Project (Kenya).

Patrick’s main focus as an NRCA board member is human capital development and management and NGO capacity support. He provides advisory and policy guidance on human resources and institutional compliance matters. He is also interested in talent development and management, partnerships with potential training institutions and employment services for graduates.

Patrick is motivated to volunteer for NRCA as he is inspired by the vision and mission of NRCA and because he wants to give back to the society through making the children and other stakeholders feel worthy, loved and dignified. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is in the service of others.’’

Robert MurimiRobert Murimi. Robert joined the NRCA board in 2016 and was elected to be the board chair in January 2019. He holds a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing and Strategic Management from the United States International University – San Diego Campus (California, U.S.), and a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Option) from the United States International University – Nairobi Campus (Nairobi, Kenya).

Robert is currently working as Chief Trainer/Lead Consultant at Impact Change Ltd. and has been there since 2009. He previously worked as an Associate Consultant (Business and Marketing) at Consultants for Effective Training Ltd., Marketing Director at Alfagen Furnishers Ltd., Marketing and Operations Manager at Art Ltd., and Area Manager (Eastern Division) at Gestetner Ltd.

In his service to NRCA as board chair, Robert focuses on program implementation, policy development, and leads the board to ensure strategic plans are successfully implemented and objectives achieved. Robert is also actively involved in alumni development, youth leadership and mentorship, and supports students in grades 8 and 12 who are taking their final exams by helping them learn goal setting and studying techniques.

Robert is motivated by the desire to touch peoples’ lives positively, especially the young ones. He is excited when their lives are transformed through programs with which he is involved.

Catherine NaliakaCatherine Naliaka. Catherine joined the NRCA board in April 2019. Catherine holds a Bachelors in Education, a Masters of Science in Maternal and Child Health, a Masters of Arts in Child Development, a Diploma in Human Resources, a Diploma in Counseling, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Child and Youth Development.

Catherine brings extensive experience in program development and NGO management having worked with Compassion International, Kenya since January 2000 where she has served in many roles. Currently, she serves in the Global Compassion International Office in Survival and Early Childhood.

Prior to joining Compassion, Catherine was a Lecturer at Kenya Polytechnic University College and worked as a Research Fellow for the University of Nairobi on a number of research projects.

In her role on the NRCA board, Catherine supports child management and compliance issues. She is also involved in NGO capacity support by ensuring NRCA’s objectives continue to be met in a manner that safeguards the interests of the children.

Catherine is married to James Ondeng’ and they are parents to Immanuel, 23 years-old. She and her husband serve in their local church, and she loves to serve as a part-time nanny in an HIV/AIDS children’s orphan home. She is passionate about supporting less fortunate children who come from families affected by HIV/AIDs, and that motivates her to work with NRCA.

Judy NyagaJudy Nyaga. Judy joined the NRCA board in 2018. She has 18 years of legal and corporate governance experience in the banking industry and is currently the Regional Head for Subsidiary Governance in Africa & Middle East for Standard Chartered Bank. In this role, Judy is responsible for driving high standards of corporate governance across Standard Chartered Bank’s subsidiaries in the Africa & Middle East regions.

Judy holds an Honors Degree in Law from the University of Nairobi and a Post-Graduate Degree in International Commercial Law from the University of Nottingham. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Strathmore Business School in Nairobi. Judy is a Certified Public Secretary and has passed the examinations required for registration as a Certified Public Accountant. Judy is also a 2015 Eisenhower Fellow.

As an NRCA board member, Judy supports the board in providing guidance and challenge to the NRCA management team to ensure objectives continue to be met. Judy’s background in law and corporate governance enables her to provide insights to the board in its oversight of legal and governance risks.

Additionally, Judy created a book club with some of the NRCA upper-primary school girls. The book club was set-up to enable the girls to learn life lessons through storybooks, to improve their oratory skills, and to build their confidence in speaking before an audience of their peers.

NRCA’s vision of supporting the education of underprivileged children impacted by HIV/AIDs resonates greatly with Judy because she knows the difference a good education has made in her own life. Serving on the board and mentoring girls through the book club enables Judy in a small way to contribute to the education and wellbeing of vulnerable children.

AnupaAnupa Sanghrajka. Anupa joined the NRCA board in 2018. She is a chartered accountant by profession and holds a Bachelors of Science (Honors) in Management. Currently, she is working in a family business based in Nairobi dealing with building products and interiors and property development. Previously, Anupa worked for KPMG in London in the Financial Audit and Advisory Department.

Anupa’s main responsibilities as an NRCA board member are to ensure the financial controls and processes are in line with best practice. She participates in monthly financial review meetings to understand the financials and provide support where required.

Being born and brought up in Kenya, Anupa has always wanted to be involved in organizations that make an impact on the less fortunate. She believes that education is a tool to ensure a sustainable long-term impression, and this is what really attracted her to NRCA. Anupa’s aim is also to transfer the business skills learned in the corporate world to NRCA.

ArunaAruna Varsani. Aruna joined the NRCA board in April 2019. She is currently the Director of Montessori Plus Center Kindergarten and College in Nairobi and has been a part of Amref Health Africa and the Nairobi Cooking Club.

Aruna is trained in Early Childhood Teaching and Care from Gems School of Management and Montessori Plus Center.

On the NRCA board, Aruna focuses on of education programming part of the organization. She provides policy guidelines and recommendations on how to maximize the education opportunity NRCA is offering the sponsored children. Aruna also helps review project reports and policies.

Aruna is motivated to volunteer for NRCA as it is and has always been her pleasure to work for and help the needy ones. Seeing people deprived of facilities and resources due to poverty really motivated her to help care for others. Her interest is mainly on children’s education. Her goal is to see that all children are given equal rights in education and have a future whereby they can sustain themselves.

July 16, 2019 By Keith Leave a Comment

Karibu Loo Update – July 2019

June was a good month for Karibu Loo.  Although we did not yet recapture the BATUK business we have been able to build up our long-term business with a wide variety of companies. We now have 9 long-term clients, mostly 

construction companies, including a “test” siting with one of the large Chinese construction companies working in Nairobi.  When that is successful it will lead to expanded business at their other sites. 

In addition we had several major short term events.  The largest was a marathon that contracted for 80 units for two days.  Because it was held a considerable distance from Nairobi the organizers paid transport and other fees in addition to the rental charge.  The Karen Country Club, located near our offices, also had a major event that rented 22 units for four days. Schools have become a major source of business and we hope this will increase as we enter graduation season (November/December).  A major shout-out to our Operations staff (mostly former NRCA students) who work all night, evenings, and weekends to keep the business running.

July 15, 2019 By Lacey Kraft Leave a Comment

Sponsor Spotlight – Margo and Matt Mukomela

Margo and Matt Mukomela have sponsored Sam for the past year. They decided to become sponsors after attending and volunteering at the Annual Gathering in the Twin Cities for several years. Margo works at Ameriprise, a company that offers a match for employees giving to Friends of Ngong Road and has a high number of generous supporters of the program. Margo was inspired by the generosity of her colleagues and the stories she heard at the Annual Gathering. She and Matt decided to make a difference for a child in Kenya too.

Margo and Matt are now expecting their first child and they’ll have the opportunity to teach their child about Sam and his life in Kenya. They’re excited to meet their little one and for the educational opportunities he or she will receive in this country. And, they’re glad to extend the opportunity to Sam across the world.

It’s no secret that many young professionals deal with enormous student debt and limited discretionary income as they are starting out their careers and building their families. One young donor said, “It’s all about my choices. If I choose to not donate a portion of my income every month, it often slips away to something else that does not align with my values. I’d rather spend it on something that really matters.”

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor you can learn more by going to https://www.ngongroad.org/sponsor or emailing Lacey at [email protected].

July 15, 2019 By Kelvin Thuku Leave a Comment

Letter from Nairobi – July 2019

Camp is a chance for the program children to get out of their normal settings and to spend time away from the slums in a healthy, stimulating environment focused on learning and fun. This year’s camp will run from August 5th to the 17th with a total of 350 campers.

Camp Dates:

5th -7th August – Grammar camp (2 nights)

8th – Rest day

9th- 11th August – leadership camp (2 nights)

11th- 17th August – senior camp (6 nights) 

The camping season is approaching quickly. Children are particularly excited and anxious due to the change of venue from previous years. The team settled on Enoomatasiani Girls High School due to its accessibility, beautiful scenery, security and moderate facilities offered by the school. The camp planning team has ensured that everything is in place and the key players have put their respective houses in order. Once booking of the venue took place, the stage was set for the rest of the planning. Potential camp leaders have made applications for supplies and are eagerly waiting for the material day. In addition to having fun, camp will also boost the children’s cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills. Indeed it is a very important exercise in the children’s growth and development. I wish to wholeheartedly thank the NCRA sponsors, supporters and well-wishers for their input which will enable this important experience to take place. I wish to thank everyone who will donate their money, time and ideas to ensure summer camp 2019 is successful.

Sincerely,

Maureen Mulievi

Programme Director, NRCA

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Friends of Ngong Road
PO Box 581308
Minneapolis, MN 55458
(612) 568-4211 | [email protected]

 

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