Friends of Ngong Road

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

By Leave a Comment

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!

By 1 Comment

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.

By Leave a Comment

Pamela

Pamela joined the program in 2013. She lives with her mother,sister and brother. Pamela’s life dramatically changed, but she was consistently an excellent student with a smile that could brighten any room.
 
presentation1
Last year, she was encouraged by her classroom teacher to apply for the AFS-USA foreign student exchange program. After multiple exams and interviews, Pamela was ranked first in her county and accepted into the program! In her interview, she spoke about how much she values diversity and enjoys learning with people who come from different backgrounds than hers. The AFS program has been focusing on bridging cultural differences among youth, and Pamela is an excellent peer example.
 
She came to Ohio for a year-long experience starting in mid-August, and she is doing very well. We are so proud of you, Pamela!

By Leave a Comment

Stacy

Stacy
Stacy started our program in 2008 shortly after demise of her mother and she moved in with her grandmother. With the support of her sponsor, Stacy succeeded at one of our primary schools and was accepted to St. Mary’s Girls Secondary School. She was a leader at camp and graduated from secondary school in December.
 
Next up in Stacy‘s journey are plans to attend Kenya Methodist University where she’ll study marketing and sales. While Stacy is waiting for her acceptance to her post-secondary studies, she has been working part-time in our Kenya office and as an associate with Karibu Loo. She said even if she didn’t have work in our office that she “feels like it is her second home.” We are proud of you, Stacy!
 

By Leave a Comment

George

George , a graduate of Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, has started working as a full-time intern at the NRCF offices and will become a full-time caseworker after receiving his diploma in July. George has been sponsored by Bob and Louise Tritt of Kansas City since 2007.  He was a camp team leader for three years and recently volunteered in our NRCF offices. George also worked for Karibu Loo, both as an event attendant and with construction projects. He is grateful for the many opportunities he’s received through the program. He is excited about developing his skills further at NRCF. We are proud of you, George!