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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Healthy Students Thanks to Supporters of the Bi-Annual Medical Camp

We held our bi-annual medical camp on a Saturday in April at the Dagoretti City Council Grounds, near our local office.

In one day 376 people received medical, dental, and eye care, along with preventative nutrition, sexual health, and hygiene care.

Of the 376 attendees, 223 were students of the program, 30 were guardians, 20 were staff members, and 103 others were relatives and neighbors of the children in the program.

Medical Camp 2017 Guardian

Friends of Ngong Road provides ongoing healthcare when needed throughout the year to students. This medical camp is vital for detecting chronic issues, delivering preventive care, and ensuring early intervention for better health outcomes.

The clinic cared for students with diverse dental needs, extracting teeth for five individuals among them.

The clinic addressed bloated abdomens, ear issues, headaches, sprains, respiratory infections, and peptic ulcers, catering to diverse symptoms.

The medical camp is an important service we are fortunate to be able to offer our students and community. Our generous sponsors and donors make the medical camp possible, enabling kids to learn better when they are healthier.

This event is co-sponsored in Kenya with Ngong Road Health Centre, Nairobi Women’s Hospital, St. Joseph Catholic Health Centre, Sunrise Dental clinic, Sai Pharmaceuticals Company, Savant’s Bookshop, and volunteers from Kikuyu and Voi Rotary Clubs and Red Cross.

Thank you to the community of Friends of Ngong Road for making medical camp possible.

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Secondary Graduate Test Results are In!

The class of 2016 graduated last December after completing their “big scary school career-end test” called the Kenyan Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). The KCSE is a comprehensive exam testing students’ last four years of knowledge and is used to determine what caliber of post-secondary school to which a student may be admitted. Even if a student doesn’t typically experience test anxiety, he or she probably does for this one.

This year 31 students took the KCSE. Among test-takers, 15 achieved C- or above, 16 got D or D-, leaving one who didn’t pass the exam.

Although it may sound low to American ears, the Kenyan system based on the old British system does not have “grade creep” and a “C” is truly average. Furthermore, educators believed that the KCSE test posed greater difficulty compared to previous years, potentially causing grades to slightly deviate from students’ usual performance.

Since December, the class of 2016 has been busy at our local office completing a computer certificate course, soft skills training, and preparing their school applications.

This year, the program anticipates the enrollment of four students. Six are expected to receive additional government sponsorships for their education because of their test scores.

Some of the standouts from the class of 2016 include:

Rose achieved a government scholarship by attaining a remarkable composite grade on her KCSE.

She attended one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Kenya after scoring above average on her 8th-grade exam, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education, a similar test structure to the KCSE but for 8th graders. Rose is finalizing her post-secondary plans. Steve and Judy Lewis sponsor Rose.

Francis excelled in KCSE, aiming for Jomo Kenyatta University to pursue veterinary studies after achieving an above-average grade. He learned about the field through Bimeda Veterinary Supply Company in Kenya, a close supporter, and friend of the organization. Andy and Heidi Walz sponsor Francis.

Timothy has been a strong leader in the class of 2016. At the leadership camp, he ignited a passion for leading. As class president, he nurtured and improved his leadership skills. In Kenya, the class president manages on-campus dorms, ensuring students complete tasks and chores, bearing substantial accountability.

Timothy’s KCSE grade was decent, not his ideal, yet he secured a government scholarship for environmental management studies. Francis and Maura Roby sponsor Timothy.

In September, once schools and programs have accepted students, sponsors of the Class of 2016 will receive finalized student plans.

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Plister: Her Mother’s Dream of Sending her to College is Coming True!

Plister, sponsored by Marti Morfitt, was one of the first students to join the program in 2007. She lived with her mother together with her five siblings. To support the family, her mother did odd jobs when she was well enough. Plister’s mother dreamed of sending her children to college, but she knew it would not be possible. She was struggling to make enough money to feed and shelter her children, let alone pay for regular school fees.

Plister age 9

Plister longed to go to school. She enjoyed spending time with friends, but her school friends advanced to new grades, while Plister remained behind.

Plister was accepted to the Friends of Ngong Road program along with two of her siblings, and life took a turn for the better for her and her family. Her mother said it was a huge relief that three of her children were being fed and educated through the program. It allowed her to provide food and clothing for her other children. It also allowed her to have hope that one day one of her children would make it to college and make a better life for their whole family. Today, Plister is on her way to making the dream possible.

Plister graduated in December 2016 from high school. Pursued a computer certificate course in post-secondary department, awaiting final grades release. Plister applied for a National Youth Service Cadet program, gaining entrepreneurial spirit and self-reliance principles. She received a six-month training program on technical, entrepreneurial, and paramilitary skills, making her more competitive in employment.

Plister is another example of a student using other skills gained through the program to make a way for herself. Our mission states that we provide children education and support “so they can transform their lives” in recognition of the fact that the program cannot do it for them.  Friends of Ngong Road can only provide tools and training. True transformation is up to the individual, and Plister is a great example of that.

Plister will return to the post-secondary program after completing her Cadet training. The future is bright for her and her family. The future is bright for many of the children in our program with an investment from people like Marti who care about kids. Great going, Plister and Marti!

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Elisha

Elisha was born in a rural area near the coast of Kenya where life was tough but his family was close. When he was 10, his father passed away.

Elisha moved in with his uncle’s family in Nairobi, while his brother moved to a city, six hours from Nairobi with a different uncle. His uncle’s profession was marked by its uncertainty, upon which he relied to provide for his own four children as well as Elisha. There was a shortage of food, and the availability of funds for school fees was even more limited.

In 2008, case managers from the newly launched Friends of Ngong Road/Ngong Road Children’s Foundation program visited Elisha’s school. It happened to be on a rare day that he was there with paid-up fees. His teachers advocated for his acceptance into the program and shared his story. Elisha was accepted, absolutely thrived in school, found friends in the program with similar backgrounds, and benefited greatly from the ongoing support of a case manager. Elisha said he no longer “felt odd. I just fit in.”

A few years later, when Elisha’s mother passed away, he didn’t find himself isolated in handling the heart-wrenching loss. Instead, he had the continuing support of FoNR/NRCF. Today, Elisha is studying to be a civil engineer. He dreams of making Nairobi a better place that can compete globally. He is on the way to transforming his life, his family’s lives, and the whole of Kenya.