Currently, all primary and secondary (Form One to Form Three) students in Nairobi are on a long holiday that will end when schools resume on 6th January 2020. Grade (class) 8 students took the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams on 31st October 2019 while the final high school examination (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education, or KCSE) for Form 4 (seniors) began on 4th November 2019 and will end towards the end of November. The students had been prepared by their respective schools to tackle both key exams confidently.
During the long holiday, the students who are not sitting for exams will be taking part in various activities ranging from life skills sessions, career guidance and counseling, sexual/reproductive health training, menstrual hygiene education, drug use, and abuse sensitization sessions, group discussions, library sessions, and computer studies. The activities will take place concurrently with each class tackling a different area. The high school students will deal with life skills, group discussions, sexual/ reproductive health, computer studies, and career counseling and mentorship. Primary school children will enjoy the library and computer studies. Drug use and abuse sensitization sessions are conducted for the upper classes (Grades 6 to 8). Menstrual hygiene education is offered for girls in the upper classes. During this time, the children are happily receiving breakfast and lunch which couldn’t have been available were it not for your generosity towards NRCF.
Since the holiday period is long, we have expanded the Saturday Program so that the children are occupied with activities that exploit and realize their talents. Sessions are divided into four broad categories that are geared toward the holistic development of children. This involves psychosocial health (yoga, cheering, singing, fun activities, brain games, talent shows, and team building). Other areas are cognitive development (arts and crafts, book reading, debates and presentations, crosswords and puzzles), and social development (clubs and societies, e.g. drama, music, scouts, dance club, journalism, and St. John ambulance). Finally, physical development (soccer, Katie, taekwondo, soccer, rugby, volleyball, handball, and athletics). On Saturdays, children also enjoy a well-balanced lunch that is part of the nutrition program.
The highlight of the holiday season is the Annual General Meeting (AGM) for all NRCF stakeholders (children, parents/guardians, local community, NRCF staff, volunteers, and board members). During this meeting, we share our achievements, successes, challenges, lessons learned, and plans for the coming year. We normally share Christmas lunch as a family on this occasion. Families also receive a take-home Christmas pack comprising of chicken, maize flour, wheat flour, cooking oil, rice, sugar, beans, vegetables, and fruit. The event is scheduled for 7th December 2019 in Nairobi.
This year’s AGM is special since we will be launching our new entity – Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF). We will be transitioning from an “Association” to a “Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)”. The children are excited as they look forward to the event since it will be joined by the founder and President of Friends of Ngong Road, Paula Meyer. After the celebration children normally break for the Christmas holidays. Some travel to their rural areas to celebrate with their extended families while others remain behind to continue benefiting from what the program offers normally such as library and computer lab access.
Thank you all for creating a big impact in the lives of these once desperate and hopeless children in Nairobi who have been given an opportunity to transform their lives.
Sincerely,
Maureen Mulievi
Programme Director
Ngong Road Children’s Foundation
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