8th and 12th grades in Kenya are extremely important to school years. 8th graders take an exam that determines to what level of high school/technical training they can gain admission. 12th graders’ exam determines which type of post-secondary training they can pursue, which in turn determines their career and very likely, their income. The system is very black and white. Breaking the cycle of poverty can come down to one exam.

Imagine being 13 or 14 and knowing that this one exam will determine the quality of high school you’ll be able to attend. And your high school education impacts your chances at a good higher education program and career! It is a big deal! We invite you to learn more about the Kenyan education system.

In 2016, our 8th-grade class scored higher than the Kenyan average, an accomplishment our students have made for the past eight consecutive years. Our students averaged 290 out of 500 points while the national average was 245. Five of our students scored above 350 and will likely be accepted to the most prestigious high schools in Kenya. Our 12th graders also completed the important exam to gain entry into post-secondary schools. Thirty-two students took the exam, and 14 scored high enough to be accepted into a college or university-level program. The others will likely attend one- to two-year trade schools.

Thank you to our generous, committed sponsors. It is your investment in your student’s education that is making this success possible.

Our top 8th and 12th grade performers include:

Hillary Anabwani. Hillary is a very strong student. He lives with his mother and father, who are both HIV+. Hillary’s mother says, “He has a bright future ahead of him should he continue to work hard.” Hillary is sponsored by Dave and Sue Kanz.

Sharon Kwamboka. Sharon has been at the top of her class for several years and is a standout student in the computer lab courses taught at our offices. She lives with her aunt, two brothers, and a cousin. Sharon is sponsored by Neha Patel.

Joyce Atieno. Joyce lives with her HIV+ mother and four siblings. Joyce’s favorite subject is social studies and her teachers recognize her as a leader among her classmates. Joyce is sponsored by Millie Acamovic.

Willis Odour. Willis has consistently been at the top of his class since joining our program. He is an orphan who lives with his uncle, aunt, and three cousins. Willis is sponsored by Ronan Smith of Bimeda Ltd., and Maurice Musanya.

Edwin Omondi. Edwin has been in the program since 2012. He is an extremely social student and is often making his friends and staff laugh. Edwin’s family recently moved to a new home with electricity, so he has been able to better study in the evenings. Edwin is sponsored by Greg and Patti Lais.

Rose Adhiambo. Rose attended Ngara Girls secondary school, a national school that is one of the top-performing in the country. Rose’s smile lights up the room, and she is a leader both in the classroom and among her peers. Rose is sponsored by Steve and Judy Lewis.

Lensa Achieng. Lensa also attended Ngara Girls secondary school. Our students attend boarding school at the secondary level, so students in a particular school do nearly everything together. Fortunately, the students at Ngara Girls have continued to be great students! Lensa is sponsored by the women in “Carol’s Knitting Ladies” club.

Francis Githinji. Francis attended Parkland Boy’s School, one of the quality schools nestled in the heart of Nairobi. Francis has been a leader at camp for several years and is a role model for many of our students. Francis is sponsored by Andy and Heidi Walz.

Daisy Atieno. Daisy is the oldest in her family with four younger brothers. Both of her parents are alive and HIV+. Because Daisy was supported by the program since 2010, her mother has been able to save a small amount and recently opened a business to support the rest of her family. Daisy is sponsored by Cynthia and Joe Walz.

I am sitting at Jomo Kenyatta Airport awaiting my flight back to the middle of the U.S., reflecting on the highlights of my past 10 days in Nairobi. I always try to reserve some time to spend with students because that is what feeds my soul so this time I spoke 1:1 with 30 students who have been in our program between 8 – 11 years. We had a total of 31 students who successfully graduated from high school in 2016; all have joined the post-secondary program.

This past month we had U.S. volunteers in Kenya named Meghan and Evan Feige. They spent two weeks and conducted training for the 2016 graduates. The first week focused on improving self-awareness: Meyers-Briggs, emotional intelligence, understanding your strengths, developing your personal brand, and communicating effectively. Having now interviewed these 2016 graduates, I can say unequivocally that this training was profoundly impactful and a real eye-opener for all of them.

In Kenya, school is designed to help students prepare for tests. Those who are most successful are humble, do what teachers say, memorize effectively, do not challenge, and therefore succeed on exams. People who are innovative, risk-takers, or a bit defiant often get kicked out of school. Imagine having that kind of high school experience and then going to a class where someone asks you what your strengths are or asks you to understand the difference between people who are introverts and extroverts. Suffice it to say, their minds were blown!

The second week of Meghan and Evan’s training focused on very practical activities: writing a resume, practicing an interview, and thinking about how what they learned in week one applies to their futures. In addition to this training, they are taking a 3-month Computer Skills Certificate Program from a well-known Kenyan organization. They have also had lectures and interactive sessions on Career Planning and Communications Skills.

One of our graduates will enroll in a civil engineering course, two will become nurses and one will study to become a veterinarian. Other career interests include agri-business, teaching, community development, the hospitality industry, land management & surveying, IT, and more. In the coming months, these students will formalize their plans and we will communicate their plans to their sponsors.

Our agreed-upon goal (between the U.S. board and Kenyan operations) is that a minimum of 75% of students who complete high school and some post-secondary education will get jobs in the formal Kenyan economy. Estimates of the unemployment rate in Kenya are just that, but the most common unemployment rate I hear is 40%. We believe getting a good job is the ultimate “proof” of the effectiveness of our mission to support these young people as they seek to transform their own lives. We are confident graduates of this program will outperform Kenya’s unemployment rate of 40%.

As always, thank you for your support. The transformation in these students’ lives is profound and will reap benefits in Kenya and the world for generations to come.

Paula Meyer
President

ALL SMILES FOR NGONG ROAD CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. The year 2017 started with a bang at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation (NRCF). A total of 260 families and their children received a New Year’s present of food packs from our supporters comprising a full chicken, 4kgs of maize flour, 1 kg of sugar, 1 kg of rice,1 kg of beans, and 1 kg of cooking fat. The package is so appreciated since the majority of the parents are manual laborers who earn below a dollar a day. It was all smiles for the children and their families since they were going to have a meal that most had not enjoyed for a long time. One woman was heard saying, “I am very grateful to Ngong Road Children’s Foundation since I am going to have chicken with my family, a delicacy I have not had for the past two years.”

The event was special since it brought together all the families, the NRCF Board of Directors, NRCF staff, BIMEDA Managers, and Chris Adams, one of our top Kenya sponsors and donors. We are very grateful to BIMEDA and Kenchic who jointly donated 260 chickens, NRCF and Karibu Loo Limited (KLL) Board Chairs Rajpreet and Raj Bains who jointly donated maize flour, Chris Adams, Langata West Primary School, Jonathan Njeru and Ben Waweru who jointly donated sugar, rice, beans and cooking fat. Without our supporters, the day will not have been a possibility.

Plans for Improving School Relationships
Some supporters do not realize that we do not run our own schools, Rather we’ve found it more beneficial to partner with schools in the local area that show good student outcomes.

One of our goals for 2017 is to improve the relationship with the schools we are working with to enable close monitoring of our student’s performance and ultimate improvement in grades. We are planning to achieve this through:

• Monitoring and evaluating students’ performance throughout the year and recommending whether it’s advisable to admit new students to that school.
• Visiting existing well-performing schools to strengthen the relationship.
• Identifying and building new relationships with other institutions that perform well.
• Working hand in hand with the school administration of our focus schools when called upon and during school visits to address any issues and also motivate students as they progress in their studies.

In our effort to improve secondary students’ performance and break the poverty cycle, we are planning to take them through study skills training using the expertise of our NRCF Board Member, Robert Murimi. Robert trained the staff and students of a Kenyan school whose performance ranking improved from 87 to 25 in the country in the annual Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination.

Plans for Study Skills Training
We plan to train our primary and high school children on effective study skills. The training entails: wise time management, good listening skills, being well organized, class attendance, use of study groups, taking short notes, setting and achieving goals, effective writing skills, approaching studies with the right attitude, choosing the right environment, minimizing destruction and setting realistic schedules.

Our plan is that the training should commence in March for the primary school children and our caseworkers, and then for high school children in April. Our long-term plan is to incorporate skills training in the August camp and has regular mentorship sessions throughout the year. It is our hope that our children’s final grades will improve after the training.

All of this work is possible because of the hundreds of individuals, organizations, and companies across the world who believe in children and are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Maureen Mulievi
Programme Director
Ngong Road Children’s Foundation