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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Karibu Loo Digital Marketing

In an effort to help Karibu Loo Ltd (the for-profit company created by Friends of Ngong Road to provide employment for our graduates and create a revenue source to support our mission) gain more visibility and boost traffic to our refreshed website, we have been running two digital marketing campaigns. The website refresh and ad campaigns are executed by members and graduates of the TechMates training program on our campus in Nairobi.

Google Ads are the cornerstone of our marketing

In March 2021, Karibu Loo launched a Google Ads campaign. The Google Ads program enables users to create online ads that reach targeted audiences interested in the offered products and services.

After a “start-up” period, the campaign was a success, driving a significant increase in call volume and resulting in stronger business performance.

Year-to-date, we have received over one million impressions, garnered over nineteen thousand clicks, and achieved 282 conversions (conversions are artificially depressed because customers are able to call us directly without being measured by Google). Using these metrics, the Google Ads program is Karibu Loo’s most successful digital marketing campaign.

Facebook Ads are proving to be very successful

Karibu Loo began testing Facebook ads in 2021 on its Facebook page.  Ads ran featuring our loos and various offers and headlines (see the three examples below). For very low expenditure ($8.00 – $10.00 USD weekly) we received very satisfactory weekly impressions (between 2000 and 8000), high click-through rates, and several direct contacts. This led us to believe that a full Facebook ads campaign had merit. 

They launched the full Facebook campaign after Kenya’s August 2022 general election. Since its inception, the campaign has contributed significantly to Karibu Loo’s brand visibility. Our own U.S.-based creative genius volunteers, Steve Kotvis and Paul Schupanitz, created the campaign, focusing on our program graduates who work full- or part-time as “Associates” for Karibu Loo. 

With the tagline ‘Use our loos and educate too’ and a photo of Associates/program graduates (see the three examples below). The campaign fueled Karibu Loo’s Facebook growth, gathering 70k users, securing 2k likes, and strengthening community engagement. Most of these ads are reaching 20,000 – 35.000 viewers weekly and generate between 100 and 500 “likes” each. The more people who “like” our page, the easier it is for others to discover our brand.

The TechMate assigned to Karibu Loo (Tabitha) presents the results of both campaigns at our weekly Karibu Loo staff meetings. She, along with other TechMates, refreshed the Karibu Loo website, improved our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) status, and continually refine our Google Ads and keyword usage.

Karibu Loo is very proud of these successful campaigns.

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Join us in Africa!

Have you ever thought about traveling to Kenya (Africa) to meet your student? Do you want to experience a life-changing trip with your family or friends? Is it a dream of yours to go on a photo safari? Your dream can become a reality. Friends of Ngong Road is planning a trip to Kenya tentatively planned for August 2023 or February 2024 uniquely designed for our sponsors, donors, friends, and their families.

The itinerary will include time with students, a visit to their homes, a school tour, and time at the Saturday Program.  You will also visit our new student center, Elimu Hub. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see some Kenya national parks, African wildlife, and the uniqueness that Nairobi, and Africa, has to offer. 

Contact Naomi at naomi@ngongroad.org if you are interested in learning more. We will follow up with more details on the itinerary, timing, and costs. There will be an online information session to provide more details about the experience, answer any questions you may have, and meet fellow travelers.

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Give the Gift of Education

We know that shopping and trying to find the right gift is hard. Why not give a gift that is meaningful and makes a difference?  

Born into abject poverty, our students face more challenges than most of us can imagine. With education and support of Friends of Ngong Road, they have the opportunity to attend school, develop strong life skills, graduate, and find employment. They are often able to leave the slums and, in most cases, help others in their family. Education can not only transform a life but also end the cycle of poverty for generations.   

This holiday season, consider giving the gift of education. 

Donate in the name of someone else – spouse, child, grandchild, or friend. We will send them a card acknowledging your gift.   

Give the gift of a sponsorship. Transform the life of an individual student through the ongoing support of their school tuition and fees. You can provide the funds, and your loved one could write to the student. This is a great gift for a grandchild so that they can learn about what life is like for kids their age in another country. To gift a sponsorship this holiday season, email naomi@ngongroad.org Or call 612-568-4299.

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Class of 2022 – Covid Class

Despite the many challenges that came with the Covid-19 pandemic, the class of 2022 still pushed through, and were all able to successfully transition from High School (Secondary) to Post-Secondary. This particular cohort was supposed to finish their Secondary education in December 2021 when they were to sit for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams. This however did not happen because of the pandemic. Students’ home stay affected school calendar for entire year.They, therefore, sat for the exams in April 2022. 

Malcom Sam

Much had to be done in order for the students to be ready for their final exams since the schoolwork had to be rushed to create ample time for the exams. They had to study extra hours in order to finish the curriculum and this meant that they were under pressure. Despite all that, the students gave their best. For the first time in the organization, one student received an A grade! This was the record-breaking high grade for candidate, surpassing all possible achievements.

We had a total of 28 students who sat for the exam, 17 boys and 12 girls. The top performer was a boy by the name of Sam and he schooled at Agoro Sare High School in Homa Bay County. Out of the 28 students, we have 7 of them who qualified for a degree course, 14 of them qualified for a diploma course in different colleges, and the remaining 8 qualified for certificate courses. They had a life skills and career guidance session where they settled on the courses they wanted to pursue.

Some of the courses they are pursuing are technical courses such as Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. Other courses include social work and community development,  broadcast journalism, and human resource management. We are proud of their achievements so far, and we are wishing them all the best in their coursework! We express gratitude to sponsors and donors for their ongoing support during these students’ crucial life phase.   

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Waiting Students

Frankline

Frankline lives with his parents and siblings in the Kibiria ward of Dagoretti. He is from a very humble background and despite the family’s hardships, Franklin has a positive attitude toward life. He and his siblings don’t have beds of their own, and he is often sent home from school due to his parent’s inability to pay for his school fees. 

Currently he schools at  Alpha Glory Academy where he is a top performer. He loves going to school and dreams of being able to go every day. He says that getting a sponsor will solve this challenge and let him focus on getting good grades. His best subjects are Mathematics and English. Frankline aspires to become a pilot and is therefore taking his studies seriously. His parents hope to see their son finish school, be successful, and become someone of substance in society through education.

Verah

Verah is not just your average 9-year-old girl. She is very helpful especially at home so, during her free time, you will find her washing dishes or helping her younger sister. Verah lives with her parents and her younger sister whom she loves dearly. She loves spending quality time with her family. 

Verah is very disciplined when it comes to her education and performs really well in her schoolwork. She would love to be a doctor someday. This is because she finds joy in helping other people and creating an impact in their lives and their families. She yearns for success and works really hard in order to achieve all the milestones that she has set for herself. Verah’s favorite foods are chicken and fish and she knows how to prepare them!

Verah will be able to join Jagiet Academy when she gets a sponsor. This will maximize her chances of earning the title of a doctor in the future and therefore empower her.