Friends of Ngong Road

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

  • About
    • Our Story
    • Our Impact
    • Board of Directors
    • Kenya Staff
    • US Staff
    • Financials, Tax, and Policies
    • Careers
  • Program
    • Our Program
    • Education
    • Health and Well-Being
    • Supportive Community
    • Camp
    • Employment Programs
      • Techmates Program
    • Karibu Loo
  • Transform a Life
    • Get Involved
    • Becoming a Sponsor
    • Wepowerment Legacy Circle
  • News
    • Events
  • Donate
  • Sponsor
  • Sign In

January 8, 2018 By Lacey Kraft Leave a Comment

Notes from Paula

Dear Friends,

As Friends of Ngong Road begins our 12th year of operation, I would like to share a few thoughts with you about the progress the organization is making in leadership succession.  Our board of directors began thinking about this challenge several years ago and we continue on the path we devised.  Although I expect to lead Friends of Ngong Road for the next several years, it is prudent to lay plans.

  • Staff and Board.  We are making progress in transitioning from a volunteer-run organization to one with a more traditional staff/board model.  Lacey Kraft completed her second year as Director of Development and we added a part-time Operations Associate and a part-time Chief Financial Officer.  Jil Bakko is our long-serving, faithful accountant and together these people are transitioning activities from volunteers to staff where appropriate.  
  • Financial Model.  We are also making progress in creating a financial model that does not rely 100% on U.S. philanthropy.  The elements of a sustainable long-term financial structure include building a successful business in Kenya (Karibu Loo), a strong endowment fund, and a professional development program.  I believe that Karibu Loo will start to contribute to our charitable work in 2018 and with each year that passes our endowment grows and our development program matures.
  • Leadership Succession.  We are continuing to involve more people in the organization and remain committed to an active and engaged corps of volunteers who can provide substantive leadership.  While we have not yet identified my successor, we are working on it.  I feel confident that the right person will emerge.

We have much to celebrate in Kenya:

  • We had 38 students finish 8th grade in 2017. 12 of them (31.5%) have been selected to attend national high schools, our highest percentage to date.  This demonstrates the impact of more selective student selection processes that began in 2012.  Our experience has been that when students are successful in academics they don’t get into as much trouble during adolescence!
  • We had 27 students finish high school in 2017.  25 of the 27 (96%) are enrolled in our post-secondary program.  They are currently taking computer classes, have completed a 2-week Life Skills training program, and will begin college applications soon.
  • In December, we launched a new Sexual & Reproductive Health Program with strong support from Dr. Patty Kissinger from Tulane University.  Our objective is to ensure that students understand their sexuality and feel responsible to manage their own bodies, that they have access to contraception and that there are safe places for them to go to get help. We trained 20 Youth Peer Providers, 8 of whom are leading the education of all students in Class 7 and higher.   We believe this Youth Peer Provider model is the most robust available. We hope it results in fewer unplanned pregnancies among girls.
  • We welcomed 31 new students to the program in 2017, giving them each hope for their future.  Our waiting list remains long with over 200 students and our goal for 2018 is to add 40.  If you or anyone you know would like to have a direct, positive impact on a child in Kenya, please follow this link to sign up: https://ngongroad.org/sponsor/

This work would not be possible without the hundreds of you who believe that education can transform lives and partner in this important work with us. Thank you!

Paula Meyer
President and Founder
Friends of Ngong Road

December 1, 2017 By Andy Walz Leave a Comment

New Sponsor Portal Launched!

We are excited to announce the launch of the new Friends of Ngong Road Sponsor Portal: https://ngongroad.org/sponsor/

Purpose: The new portal is designed to foster a deeper understanding of Friends of Ngong Road sponsors of the children they sponsor and to form a stronger relationship between sponsors and students. The portal includes a photo gallery, school marks, child assessments, renewal information, and a link to write the sponsored child.

Future Enhancements: As this is version 1.0, sponsors can expect to see updates and improvements in the coming months. In upcoming versions we plan to include:

  • Annual student assessments are delivered electronically instead of via post
  • Donation and sponsorship payment history (an easy way to check on giving history and print receipts for tax purposes)
  • Monthly giving subscription management (ability to update credit cards, pay for multiple children, etc.)
  • Photo library and tagging system (we have a wealth of amazing photographs–too many for our current system to handle–an upgrade is needed to make these photos available to sponsors)**
  • Communication tools and tracking (a history of all written communications between sponsors and children and the ability to correspond more efficiently that supports photo/video, etc.)**

**We are currently seeking funding for these projects. If you are interested in underwriting one of these enhancements, please contact Lacey Kraft at Lacey@ngongroad.org.

Sponsors: To log in for the first time you will need to create an account. Here’s how:

  1. Start by visiting ngongroad.org/sponsor/
  2. Click “New User” under the login
  3. Enter your email address (the one you use to communicate with Friends of Ngong Road).
  4. Check your email inbox. You will receive an email with a link that allows you to create a password. Click it.
  5. Enter your new password. You will use the same email address and the password you create to log in from now on. You can reset the password at any time by clicking the “Lost Password?” link below the login form.

See the brief video demonstrating this process here.

We welcome your feedback as we continue to make the portal and your sponsorship a positive experience for you and your student(s). Please use the feedback form link at the top of your portal homepage. Or, for assistance and comments, contact the Friends of Ngong Road technology and operations team at staff@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.

Thank you for helping to transform lives through education!

Andy Walz
Board Member, Technology
Friends of Ngong Road

PS – if you are not a sponsor but are interested in learning more about the new portal, please contact Development Director, Lacey Kraft, at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211. She would be happy to give you a demonstration of the portal and explain what sponsorship entails.

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Site Search

Friends of Ngong Road
100 1st St S #581308
Minneapolis, MN 55458
(612) 568-4211 | info@ngongroad.org

EIN: 20-4690846

 Subscribe to Our Newsletter
BraniceAge 14 years
Learn More
  • Home
  • Contact US
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ngong Road Children’s Foundation Kenya Homepage
© 2025 · Friends of Ngong Road, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit