Tabitha Ongachi told Friends of Ngong Road President and Founder, Paula Meyer, that she “never thought she would graduate from Form 4.” She knew it was not affordable on her family’s little income. In December 2017, she did just that!

Tabitha has been sponsored by Jamie and Nancy Letcher since she joined the program in 2008 after her father died from AIDS. She and her mother were living with two of her aunts while struggling to make it in the slums of Nairobi. Her mother occasionally washed clothes for other families and sold odds and ends to get enough income for one meal a day.

Tabitha excelled in her primary school environment often performing at the top of her class. She was determined to do well and with a high score on her eighth-grade exam, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Nairobi, Ngara Girls Secondary School. Although she was one of the few students coming from a background of extreme poverty at the school, she continued to perform well and made friends with students from all different backgrounds. In December 2017, Tabitha scored a B- on her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam. She dreams of becoming a forensic scientist and will be applying to university in the fall.

In December 2017, Tabitha was chosen to be a “Youth Peer Provider” for the new sexual and reproductive health program. Fourteen students were trained through Planned Parenthood Global and eight selected to lead the training for their peers. While applying to post-secondary schools, she has attended our computer training course and Life Skills program led by Megan and Evan Feige of Minneapolis, MN. The program will be expanded later this year thanks to a Rotary Global Grant with the South Metro Minneapolis Evenings Rotary Club and the Kikuyu Rotary Club of Nairobi. She is a respected leader among her peers and an inspiration to her two younger brothers.

A few weeks ago the Managing Director of Pentair in Kenya visited the local office in Kenya. Pentair has been a supporter of the program since 2016, and the manager was interested in learning more about how Pentair is helping to provide education for children in his own community.

When guests tour the program and office the tour ends with a personal story from either a graduate of the program or a guardian of a current student. The tour’s final speaker was George Odhiambo, a 2015 graduate of the program who now works as a caseworker in the local office for primary-aged students. George shared his story in more detail than he has in the past. President and Founder, Paula Meyer, was also in attendance at the tour and said it almost made her cry.

George explained how his life has turned out thanks to the program versus how it could have turned out. He said that he sees his friends from before his acceptance in the program in his home area, and they are thieves or have fathered many children out of wedlock. He felt he would not have even been able to finish primary school if not for the program. He is now still living in the slums and spends a large portion of his salary helping three of his cousins to get an education, rather than spending it on a nicer apartment for himself. He is employed with hope and a future.

If you are ever in Nairobi or know anyone who will be, let us know! We’d love to show you around and introduce you to the students and staff.

Plister, sponsored by Marti Morfitt, was one of the first students to join the program in 2007. Her HIV+ mother and five siblings were abandoned by her father when Plister was young. 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 as she was struggling to make enough money to feed and shelter her children, let alone pay for regular school fees.

Plister slept on cushions on the floor with her sister. Trash was scattered throughout the home with electricity only occasionally available in their iron-sheet home. Plister longed to go to school. She loved being with her friends but the few friends she made at school when she could occasionally attend continued advancing 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. And, it 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.

After graduating from secondary school (high school) in December 2016, Plister joined our post-secondary department and attained a computer certificate course while waiting for her final grades to be released. During that time, Plister used her entrepreneurial spirit and self-reliance principles gained in the program to apply to a government program as a National Youth Service Cadet for a six month training on technical, entrepreneurial and paramilitary skills. She was admitted and upon completion will receive a certificate that will make her significantly more competitive when searching for employment.

Plister graduated with a D on her final exam, so not a high score, but she passed! She 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 Plister 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!

Elisha was born in the rural area near the coast of Kenya where life was tough but his family close. When he was 10, his father died from AIDS. Soon after, his mother learned she too was HIV positive. She became very ill and unable to work. Elisha loved his mother deeply and remembers her instilling in him the importance of hard work and education. As she weakened she could no longer provide the basic needs of Elisha and his 13 year old brother.

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. In Nairobi, Elisha’s uncle earned income as a driver, an unpredictable career he now depended on to support his own four children plus Elisha. Food was scarce, school fees scarcer.

In 2008, caseworkers 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 caseworker. Elisha said he no longer “felt odd. I just fit in.”

When Elisha’s mother died a few years later, he was not left alone to deal with the tragedy. 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.