Friends of Ngong Road

We empower Nairobi children living in poverty to transform their lives through education and support, leading to employment.

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2023 Post-Secondary Career Camp

We had to put our summer camp on hold since the start of COVID-19 in 2020. After things calmed down in 2022, we redesigned the camp to ensure that students have fun while also gaining educational value. Instead of having a general camp for the high school and post-secondary students, we introduced a career camp meant to educate students, especially new KCSE graduates preparing to join colleges and universities on career training and college and university applications. 

The camp took place at Naivasha West Beach Camp which is on the shores of Lake Naivasha from Friday, the 21st of April to Sunday, the 23rd. The camp theme was “WePower PS Career Camp” which translates to “We are Empowering the Post-Secondary students through this camp”. The students were able to demonstrate this through the discussions that they had with their paired buddies, who were selected Post-Secondary students in the different career fields that our high school graduates aspire to pursue, and external facilitators who we invited. This was to ensure that the high school graduates of 2022 can be able to fully understand the careers available, the placement process, and post-secondary life and move together as a team.

We had a total of 53 campers that included 26 high school graduates, and 15 buddies. We had a number of career development programs in store for the high school graduates which was the main purpose of the camp. Nelson, a guest speaker, from Generation Kenya facilitated a career discussion about selecting career choices based on interest and enthusiasm, as well as the effect that it makes. A representative from Zetech University also guided the graduates through courses, institutional selection, and placement. They were educated on how the Kenya University and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) handles placements. This is in regard to cluster points and subject combinations. 

We also had buddy group discussions that were facilitated by the selected buddies. The buddies were able to clearly explain how things work in higher learning institutions in specific relation to the courses they were taking. This enabled the graduates to have a better understanding of the various courses they had selected as their most preferred courses. The campers also enjoyed all sorts of activities ranging from summer Olympics, obstacle races, balloon relay, music and dance, swimming and team building activities. These activities were meant to be both fun and forge a teamwork spirit.   

The camp was successful and we would like to extend our gratitude to all donors and sponsors for the education support they accord our students. We would also love to thank the teams from Generation Kenya and Zetech University for honoring our invitation and sharing knowledge with the campers. 

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Alumni Camp

The Alumni Camp was held from January 20th to the 22nd at the Duara Flamingo Camp, located in Elementaita, Nakuru (Lake Elementaita Lodge). The camp celebrated the accomplishments of the 2022 post-secondary graduates, welcomed them to the alumni association, and provided their first job preparedness training.

We had a total of 36 campers that included 31 alumni, 3 staff members, and 2 facilitators from the organization. We had a number of activities and training that were meant to develop employability skills and emotional intelligence. There was a training session conducted by Be The Leader (BTL) on job interview skills, digital marketing, entrepreneurship skills, and career development. The objective of the training was to teach them how to be outstanding during an interview, how to make themselves visible to potential employers via social media, and the basics of starting a business. There were also a number of team competition activities like crazy games and olympics. The alumni also had a chance to visit the Kariandusi prehistoric site and African Diatomite Industries Ltd to learn about the mining of diatomite (from skeletons of very tiny animals called diatoms) and its uses.

The camp was a success and we hope that the alumni were impacted positively by all the training and activities.

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2023 Alumni Camp

The Alumni Camp was held from Friday, 20th January 2023 To Sunday, 22nd January 2023 at the Duara Flamingo Camp, located in Elementaita, Nakuru (Lake Elementaita Lodge). The camp was intended to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 post-secondary graduates and welcome them to the alumni association as well as have their first Job preparedness training.

We had a total of 36 campers that included 31 alumni, 3 staff members and 2 facilitators from the organization. The alumni slept in tents and their meals were prepared by the hotel chefs. We had a number of activities and training that were meant to develop their employability skills as well as their emotional intelligence. There was a training session that was conducted by Be The Leader (BTL) on job interview skills, digital marketing, entrepreneurship skills and career development. The objective of the training was to teach them how to be outstanding during an interview, how to make them visible to employers via social media and the basics of starting a business.

There were also lots of team competition activities like crazy games and Olympics. The alumni got a chance to visit the Kariandusi prehistoric site and African Diatomite Industries Ltd. They learnt about the mining of diatomite (from skeletons of very tiny animals called diatoms) and its uses.

The camp was a success and we hope that the alumni got impacted positively from all the training and activities. We hope that they use the skills gained to better equip themselves for the employment and self-employment sectors.

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Letter from Nairobi – July 2019

Our 2019 Letter updates are here.

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 the 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, the 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, NRCF

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A reflection on Camp – By: Alli Kildahl

Teaching social studies in Minnesota does not necessarily prepare you for everything the NRCF camp has to offer.  Last August I traveled to camp for the 5th time to help out. More and more of this means that I again become humbled by everything I still don’t know about Swahili and Kenyan culture, so I get to look to the best guides available: our amazing Kenyan staff and students.

LEADERSHIP CAMP

I often lead a simulation activity with students who are learning about government in my Civics classes in Minnesota.  I tell them we all live in a place called Sheeptown together; impenetrable and scary Mountains of Death surround us, but we have everything we need in our town: sheep, grass, trees, freshwater, and each other.  One morning, we wake up to find that one of the students is missing a sheep (we start with 20) – and in its place is a spot of blood on the grass and a few tufts of fur snagged on the trees. Wolves.

Students then have to talk out their plans.  My only purpose is to advance the story for them based on their choose-your-own-adventure discussion.  The punchline is that however they decide to deal with the wolves, they usually wind up creating a governmental structure of some kind without realizing it – and thus they (hopefully) learn the purpose of government.  I claim no credit for this lesson. I filched it with another teacher and the kids always do all the work. But at Leadership Camp, Sheeptown was a whole new ball game.

First, it became immediately apparent that our NRCF student leaders are experts in the natural world.  They sat in a circle facing each other and threw out ideas almost faster than I could process them. We’re talking great ideas: protect the sheep with a fence or a hut; hunt the wolves; set traps for the wolves; dig a moat around Sheeptown; set watches at night; and so on.  Everyone listened and seemed to feel heard. Students got enthusiastic about the ideas of others, then added thoughts of their own. They obviously regard each other with a great deal of respect.

When the story advances, they learn that their first few attempts don’t work; the wolves are still a threat.  This forces them to be smarter about how they spend their scant assets. Our student leaders are experts at learning quickly and managing limited resources.  The conversation sped up as lines of influence emerged among them. Certain students pulled ahead as clear authority figures, proposing new plans and taking input from their peers.  These leaders made difficult decisions but only advanced an idea when everyone was on board. Justifications were explained, argued, and agreed upon. The governmental structure they had pieced together gained cohesion.  The wolves receded as their problem-solving ability grew and they regained control of Sheeptown.

I have never seen students do as well in this activity as I did that day in Nanyuki.  The wolves of the real world don’t stand a chance against our NRCF student leaders.

SENIORS CAMP

Walking across a bouncy bridge suspended dozens of feet above the forest floor is not the way I envisioned spending each day at Seniors Camp, but I got used to it quickly enough.  The fact that the see-through walkway looked like it was made of paper clips hooked together seemed to be a strong deterrent to many of our students. Who was to say this thing would hold together when each of them stepped out with one foot, then the other, placing all their weight upon it along with the handful of their peers in front of them?  Their anxiety was palpable. This felt life-threatening to some of the kids.

One might expect some students to give up.  Remain on the ground, or make it up the first set of stairs only to turn around and crawl right back down to safety.  Or perhaps some cajoling from the staff: Come on.  It’s not so bad.  You’ll be fine.  And then a panic attack halfway through with some kind of emergency rescue.

None of these things happened.  One by one, over the 4 days of our field trip to Ngare Ndare Forest Park, students took deep breaths, strengthened their resolve, and decided this fear would not defeat them.  Backs straight and knuckles white, they stepped out onto the bridge, holding the guiding wiring as tightly as possible. We heard no complaints or verbal expressions of fear from any students, only words of encouragement and support.  The treetop path is 450 meters long, and step by step they made their way.

Each time someone reached the end, they cheered and joined the rest, seeming giddy that they had completed such a task.  It wasn’t fearlessness they all demonstrated, exactly – it was bravery. Who could be better than our NRCF students at facing down their fears to overcome a new challenge?

CRAZY GAMES

I’m an obsessive distance runner – I try to tackle 3-4 miles almost every day.  During our crazy games days at camp, I participate in the adult demos for running events, thinking that surely I can at least compete with the Kenyan staff.  I knew I wouldn’t win.

As we crouched at the starting line last August, campers cheering for us, I thought maybe this would be the year all my running would finally give me a good sprint.  I had never run faster than any Kenyan in my life, but I allowed myself to consider the possibility this time. Who knows?

Kelvin blew his whistle and our caseworkers shot ahead of my best sprint like they had rocket boosters.  I didn’t have a chance from the beginning, of course. I did my best and finally reached the finish line to find the Kenyan staff already chatting with each other, postures relaxed, ready to high-five me. This made me laugh at myself.

Just like in running, the NRCF caseworkers are miles ahead in terms of how much more they know about the students in our program.  Assumptions I make about students turn out to be wrong more often than not. It makes sense – Callen and Norah and the rest have had leagues more time to get to know these kids than I have.

More than that, the caseworkers are empathetic and talented.  Tunda and Mary anticipate student needs and respond with diligence and love.  Our students know that if they need a little extra food, Mama Kamau will usually dish something up.  If they need adult support, Joy and Saidi will listen and respond in kind. If they need encouragement (which they almost never seem to need at all), George is there to offer it, his success story resonating quietly in the background.

Together they make an unstoppable team.  It’s incredible to work alongside these amazing humans.  They’ve put in countless hours to make sure each student in NRCF is successful, and the students are keenly aware of that.  A child’s caseworker may be the only reliable adult relationship in their life (aside from their sponsor, of course). Tunda does home visits and works at the Saturday program all year long, then comes to camp ready for more. Her students truly feel loved and supported in a way they may not have without her.

The bus ride back to Nairobi is always full of loud music and happy chatter, but also a sense of sadness that camp is over.  The goodbyes are difficult for all of us as we remember that we can’t always spend each day together. But inherently comforting is the knowledge that the caseworkers are the heart and soul of NRCF.  They serve kids with great care. The students deserve nothing less.