Friends of Ngong Road

Providing education and support to Nairobi children living in poverty whose families are affected by HIV/AIDS.

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Graduation Stories

Francis

“Success is and will never be an activity, rather, it is a process”. These were the exact words spoken by Francis on his big day, his graduation day. Francis, our most recent graduate, joined the program in 2010 as a young boy, full of ambitions. He not only completed his studies but also graduated with a degree.

Francis joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in September 2017. He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, specializing in animal physiology, which entails studying how animals function and their life processes. He has always been a lover of animals. He completed his degree in December 2021 and graduated on the 28th of July 2022.

He was an intern at Bimeda Kenya, a leading global manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of animal health products and veterinary pharmaceuticals, as a sales representative for 3 months. Francis currently has two internship options, to either renew his internship contract with Bimeda or to join one of our employment initiatives, the Techmates program. He hopes to be able to put his skills and knowledge into action and add value to any place that he goes to.

Shaleen

Shaleen has always been a focused and hardworking girl since she joined the program in 2010. Her dedication and resilience finally paid off when she was able to wear a graduation gown, a dream she has always had. On her graduation day, she had lots of emotions, but most importantly, she was proud of herself for being consistent all through her studies.

Shaleen joined the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in May 2018 after completing her high school studies in 2017. She pursued a degree in Bachelor of Commerce and specialized in accounting, an area that she really enjoyed as business studies were among her favorite subjects in high school. The program took 4 years to complete and on the 17th of December 2021, she finally graduated. 

She is currently working as a temporary finance assistant at the Christian Health Association of Kenya  (CHAK). When asked about her aspirations, Shaleen said that she hopes to complete the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) course, earn the accredited title, venture into the audit

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Emmanuel Scholarship to Ghana

Emmanuel has been sponsored in his education journey for 12 years. Emmanuel joined the program in 2010 and was supported through his primary, secondary, and post-secondary education by Susan and Dave Plimpton.

His passion for technology started while in primary school thanks to the NRCF Computer Lab, which offered a platform to learn computers. He began attending computer classes and was eager to learn more, leading him to a desire to pursue a tech career path. In high school, Emmanuel was a good student who was very active in class participation. He was responsible and had leadership skills as he was the class monitor. After high school, Emmanuel underwent intensive computer training for three months where he received a certificate from the Computer Society of Kenya and Belmont College. He later joined Jomo Kenyatta University to pursue a degree in Business Information Technology.  He graduated in 2022. 

In 2021, NRCF launched a new tech internship program, TechMates,  designed to offer on-the-job training to graduates interested in tech careers. Emmanuel was among the pioneer interns of this program and underwent an eight months training program from September 2021 to May 2022.  During this internship, he was able to gain employment with Lido Nation as a software developer.  

In May 2022, NRCF launched an Entrepreneurship Program to help alumni who were interested in starting a business by training entrepreneurial skills around business start-up, management, and sustainability. Emmanuel was, again, a pioneer of this program as he was interested in venturing into the business of website development and management. Emmanuel applied for a Tech Entrepreneurship Training scholarship at Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology in Ghana. This is a 1-year training program focused on tech entrepreneurship. He qualified for this program and has been invited to join the cohort in September 2022. 

Emmanuel has demonstrated superb leadership and resilience throughout his education journey. Emmanuel’s personal strengths are as impressive as his intellectual accomplishments. We celebrate all the milestones that he has achieved so far. The sky’s the limit for Emmanuel.

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Two Remarkable Young People: Siblings Lorine and Emmanuel

By Susan Plimpton

Almost 15 years ago, we accepted the sponsorship of Lorine, at that time a young girl of about 10 years of age.  When I met her, she had a big smile on her face but found me a bit intimidating and looked down at the ground when I shook her hand.  Her father had died recently from AIDS and her mother, also positive, was weakened by an illness.  Lorine was helping with cooking and washing while also going to school.  Even then her mother knew that a good education was the only possible way to give Lorine a chance at a better life and thus applied for sponsorship in the Ngong Road program. Over the years, Lorine gradually became more self-confident. We loved communication through email and had fun times shopping when I was in Nairobi. Several years after “adopting” Lorine I learned that her brother, Emmanuel, was also available for sponsorship and we agreed to take him on as well. Emmanuel was a little more reserved but very motivated academically in primary school which enabled him to enter a competitive secondary school. 

Both Lorine and Emmanuel were accepted by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology for a two-year certificate program after they completed secondary school, Lorine in Business Studies and Emmanuel in Business Information Technology. Upon completing the program, Lorine self-financed herself to go on for a 4 year Bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and now works in a financial position at British East African Tobacco Company in Nairobi.


Emmanuel is an IT intern at the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, one of the first “TechMates”. He is so proficient in information technology and cyber security that he has a second internship at Lido Nation as an Intern/Junior Developer.  Emmanuel has also been invited by the Swiss non-profit organization, United People Global, to participate in a week-long leadership and sustainability program this summer at Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership in Rockland, Maine. He is hoping to obtain his U.S. visa to attend.

 My husband David and I visited Lorine and Emmanuel pre-pandemic and were so impressed and proud of the young adults they have become.  Both have matured into self-confident and poised individuals who have every intention of contributing to the development of their country. They truly are examples of the transformation that can be achieved by the children sponsored by Friends of Ngong Road at the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation.

 Lorine says . . .

My experience of being a beneficiary of the NRCF program has been educational, adventurous, and amazing. From the yearly camps to the overflow of support from my sponsor and the organization. NRCF has been very instrumental in shaping the woman that I have become through the Life Skills training, educational support since the beginning of my O level (grade school) to the end of my A level (high school), and also the feeding program that helped my mind be at ease over when the next meal would come. I look forward to running my own business and sponsoring a child. Again I say thank you to the organization for the opportunity.

Warm regards,

Lorine

Emmanuel says… 

My experience at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation is one where I can use two words to describe it: “grateful and thankful”. I enrolled in the program in 2010 at age eleven years. My academic journey hasn’t been a smooth one. In fact, I could describe it as surfing through strong ocean waves, but NRCF was always there to help me surf the tides.

How the program has positively impacted my life

The program gave me a scholarship from primary school to university for my education. NRCF also provided Life Skills training and other support programs. I am currently interning as an ICT intern in the program as a TechMate. This internship has greatly empowered me economically and upscaled my technical skills on matters concerning information technology.

What does my future look like? 

I could describe my future from the lenses of an optimist. One that is promising and demanding as well. I view myself growing even better. This could be by adding more academic qualifications to my portfolio and having reliable years of experience in the business information, technology arena. Demanding in the aspect that all the achievements I want to make will require me to push myself beyond ordinary limits. I do believe that this far I have proven that I am capable of being and doing better and the rate at which I am growing is intensifying rather than slowing.

Thank you all,

Emmanuel

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Waiting Students

Fenny

Fenny, an ever-smiling young girl is a 5th-grade student who lives with her mother and two siblings. They live in a double room made of iron sheets and timber, sharing the bathroom and toilet with the neighbors as the house is not self-contained. Her mother is a hairdresser and works at a local hair salon but because she is the sole provider, the income that she gets is never enough to sustain the family.

Fenny’s mother says she is a very hardworking girl and that is evident in her academics as she scored a total of 602 marks out of 700 in her placement interview. She loves going to school and according to her, it is her favorite place to be. She loves reading different storybooks and she aspires to join the army after she is done with her studies. 

The thought of getting a sponsor in the program really excites Fenny as she wants to be able to pursue her educational dreams.  

Ryan 

Ryan is 12 years old. With his mother and sister, he lives in a two-room brick house. Their home isn’t self-contained, so they must share the bathroom and toilet with their neighbors. His mother is a community health worker who loves to empower women living with HIV/AIDS to lead healthy lives. She also works casual jobs such as housecleaning to support her family as a single mother. 

He is smart and hard-working.  After putting in a lot of effort, Ryan achieved 355 marks on a recent exam. English is his favorite subject, and he hopes to become a doctor one day so that he can help other people with health issues. Additionally, he enjoys participating in extracurricular activities. Whenever he has free time, he loves to play soccer with friends.

Ryan would be able to pursue his career and educational goals with the help of sponsorship. He is determined to make a difference in society and inspire other young children. 

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Alumni Update

In 2021, 25 students in our program graduated from college. Since graduation, 78% of these alumni have found employment while one returned to school to further her education. This success has been possible due to the enormous support from our partners and sponsors who have walked with these graduates on their journey through life transformation. We would like to highlight 3 graduates who are celebrating the fruits of their hard work and the investment in their support. 

Noah Ngugi – Make-up Artist at M.A.C Store

Noah joined the program in October 2007. As a child, his family’s ability to pay for education was an incredible challenge.  Friends of Ngong Road provided a bridge for him to pursue his dreams. He has now completed his education and is incredibly proud of having a degree, a career, and the ability to support himself.

Noah studied at Uhuru Boys Secondary School and graduated in 2017. He later joined Lintons College to pursue a Diploma in Make-up Artistry and Nail Technology. He graduated in November 2021.  

Currently, he is working at M.A.C cosmetics store as a cosmetologist. Noah is also an active leader at Ngong Road Children’s Foundation as a Youth Peer Provider (YPP) for the sexual Reproductive Health Program.

Wence Njiri- The Social Worker/ Case Manager

As a child with little hopes and dreams for his future, life was challenging. Although his parents did their best to provide for the family, they struggled financially. The world and prospects changed for Wence when he joined our program in October 2009.

He was so happy when he learned he was sponsored.  He received a lot of love from the caseworkers and the other students in the program; he met many new friends.  He also had  access to consistent support, education and food. During his time in school and participating in the supportive programming, Wence was able to discover himself and harness his skills to prepare for success. Wence became a leader in the program as a Young Peer Provider (Ypp) for the sexual Reproductive Health Program at NRCF.

Wence is a graduate of Kabete National Polytechnic with a diploma in Social Work and Community Development. He currently interns at NRCF in the Primary department with prospects of being hired full time in the future. There is a saying that we only need one thread to weave our story and for him, Ngong road Children’s Foundation was that thread.

Eric Njuguna- Supply Chain Management Graduate

Eric is the youngest of three siblings. In October 2002 his mother passed away due to illness, and, at such a young age, this loss crushed him and he felt like his life was entangled in darkness. Eric and his siblings moved in with their grandma who enrolled him in school.  Although he was relieved and excited to be in school, it came with a lot of challenges. His grandma was older and had diabetes, so she couldn’t work enough to keep up with the rising school fees. 

Life started looking up when his grandma was told about the sponsorship program by a friend. After meeting the rigorous selection requirements Eric and his brother were both sponsored. All aspects of their lives were taken care of, including health, education, and nutrition. He graduated from college with a diploma in Supply Chain Management and is currently applying for jobs.

Nelson Mandela, the first black African President of South Africa once said that ‘Education is the great engine of personal development.’ Eric is forever grateful to Friends of Ngong Road for providing him with the education and support he needed to transform his life.