Dear Friends,
I get to hear stories regularly about how lives are changed because of your support and the work of Friends of Ngong Road. It is one of the greatest honors of my life to hear young people share how their lives are transformed.
Eric Badi became one of our first university graduates this spring. Eric’s father died from AIDS and his mother made a few dollars a day as a hairdresser in the slums. Eric graduated from Kenyatta University with a Degree in Business Commerce while working part-time. Eric has overcome more than most of us can imagine. He is one of the most hard-working, determined people I have ever met. Eric continues to work in his current position while seeking a better job that takes advantage of his newly-earned degree.
To support the growth of our program, we are using 2019 to pilot our new Ambassador Program. Eight volunteers have agreed to be our first Ambassadors: Janis Heaney, Nicole Hillman, Sam Jensen, Alli Kildahl, Margaret Pfeffer, Barbara Scharf, Judy Skoglund, and Leah Switzer. These generous volunteers have all had a good experience with the program and have agreed to use their personal and professional networks to bring new people to Friends of Ngong Road. Each Ambassador commits to recruiting 2 new sponsors and raising $2,000 annually for two years. We are working hard to support their efforts. If you are interested in learning more about what it means to be an Ambassador, please contact Lacey at lacey@ngongroad.org.
We are a few weeks away from sending nearly 350 students to summer camp, students’ favorite time of the year. I am delighted to report that the Camp Appeal has met the match this year! Sincere thanks to Colin and Wendy Lundgren for making this match possible again.
This fall we will welcome Kelvin Thuku, the assistant program director from our sister organization in Kenya, for the Annual Gathering on September 30 at Surly in Minneapolis.
In Kenya, the board of directors of our sister organization, Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, has dramatically strengthened its support and involvement with the program, giving U.S. supporters encouragement that Kenyans are committed to helping Kenyans succeed and gain meaningful employment. Friends of Ngong Road is investing in the capacity of the staff in Kenya with the hope that by building more effective leaders we will build our capacity to invest in more young Kenyans in the future.
We know raising children anywhere in the world takes a village. Thank you to each of you for being a part of our village.
President and Founder
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