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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September 18, 2021 By Kelvin Thuku Leave a Comment

Alumni Stories

Lydia is a Call Center Attendant at Zuku Kenya Limited and is Looking Ahead to Graduate School

A Chinese proverb states “A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step”. This is the story of Lydia, born in the sprawling slums of Kawangware where she could not imagine that she would be a college graduate.

Lydia’s journey has not been easy. In her early years, as far as she can remember, her father left the family leaving them stunned and hurt. Being the sole breadwinner, his departure affected the already financially struggling family. Her mother was not able to care for Lydia and her small brother. They barely survived with only one meal a day, if they were lucky. Lydia woke up every morning and went to a community primary public school with no hope of joining a secondary school. Life was unfair and each day things seemed to be deteriorating. She never dreamt of having the life she lives now.

Thanks to Friends of Ngong Road and Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, she was paired with a sponsor who was instrumental in her success. Her school fees were fully paid from primary school through university, including necessary school supplies. This generous support made her work even harder to achieve good grades. 

At 23 years old she prides herself not just for having attained a BS in Economics and Finance but also for being among the few girls in her neighborhood that have transformed their life in this way. Her transformational journey has just started as Lydia now works as a call center attendant at Zuku Kenya Limited, a fiber optic company. Her future aspirations include earning a master’s degree so she can pursue better job opportunities.

Bernard is an Operations Associate at Karibu Loo Limited

Bernard is one of our graduates who currently works at Karibu Loo Limited as an Operations Associate, after completing a driving course. He is grateful for how far he has come and is now on the right path to transforming his life. His story is that of persistence and demonstrating a spirit of not giving up. 

He was raised by his aunt, since his mother was in poor health, which made it impossible for her to be involved in his upbringing. Unlike many children, he had a lot of challenges which caused him to enroll in school at an older age than normal. He and eight of his family members lived in a single-room home, where it was impossible to get any privacy, something that he treasured. Every time he went back to boarding school he had a sense of relief. 

His family situation affected his academics and like most teens, he had his own challenges. But he never gave up and finished high school with the support of his sponsor and program staff. He was even elected school president while in high school. Bernard says, “Learning to have that persistence, letting my ego down a bit, and asking for help is what has made me come this far. Thanks to everyone who helped me through school.”

Brian is a Sales Associate at Platinum Credit Limited

Brian is one of our recent graduates whose life has been transformed by the support he received from our program. His story is one that will be told for generations to come in his family. Despite all the odds in life, Brian has been able to use his experience as a stepping stone to climb the ladder. His mother died after separating from his father which left him and his siblings no option but to stay with their grandparents. He recognized early on that he needed to take school seriously if he was to ever get out of the deplorable living situations he found himself in and help his aging grandparents.

While he was sponsored,​ he gained various skills that helped him develop as a whole person. The life skills learned during school holidays and at camp encourage him to pursue leadership roles in both secondary and post-secondary school. The computer skills he developed through our program have been essential in his journey to acquiring a job. He completed his diploma in Entrepreneurship Development from The Eldoret Polytechnic and currently works as a Sales Associate at Platinum Credit Limited. Even though he’s only been there for a month, he’s already able to understand key marketing tips and handle queries from clients. 

He knows his life was changed for the better because of his education and he is not only full of gratitude but wants to support someone through their education in the future. Brian shared, “Success favors those who fail till they succeed and never let challenges be a stumbling block rather let them be opportunities for growth.”

July 7, 2021 By Kelvin Thuku 3 Comments

A Nurse Named Mercy

It is the dream of every young girl to be independent and beat all odds to become a successful woman in Kenya. This is the case for our sponsored girls who have the opportunity to transform their lives which is a stepping stone for becoming self-reliant and independent.  Mercy is one just girl and has become our first nurse graduate.

Mercy joined the NRCF program in 2007 after both of her parents died of HIV/AIDS. She stayed with her aunt at Satellite (a Nairobi slum) where they lived in a two-roomed house with her sister, brother, and three cousins. She enrolled at G.S.U primary school in grade 3 where she performed well in the final KCPE (Kenya Certificate of Primary Education) exam and joined Mirithu Girls High school.

While in high school, she was focused, neat, and disciplined with an independent mind. She performed well in science subjects which was important as she has had a passion for nursing as a future career so she could help the sick and poor in the slums. She took the final KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exam and passed. 

Following her dreams, she applied to a Nursing program and secured a vacancy at Clive Irvine College of Nursing at Chogoria to study for a Diploma in Nursing. She was determined in her studies.  She was slated to graduate in 2020 but due to Covid-19, her graduation was pushed to June 2021.

She recently started an internship at Melkzedek Hospital to gain more experience.  She is a role model to other young women in the program. She has managed to transform her life with the help of NRCF and her dedicated sponsor. She is attached to the outpatient department where her main role is as a triage nurse, Administering drugs and injections, and admissions for emergencies. We hope that she will be able to secure permanent employment upon completion of the internship which takes 6 months.

March 18, 2021 By Michon Garrett 1 Comment

Asaph-His Story

Asaph was born in 1996, the eldest of two children in his family. When he was ten years old his father and mother were diagnosed with HIV and shortly thereafter his father died. Asaph joined the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation program in 2008. He successfully finished high school and joined St. Paul’s University where he got a two-year degree in business management.

Karibu Loo hired Asaph as an administrative and marketing assistant for two years. While there,  Asaph was offered a higher salary by Patiala Distillers where he was in charge of inventory control for 16 months. He obviously impressed his employers since he was promoted at the end of that assignment. He became the Sales Supervisor in the Mount Kenya region for a year and just recently was promoted yet again to be an Assistant Key Account Manager in the Nairobi headquarters of Patiala Distillers.  

Asaph’s mother is still alive but has been diagnosed with cervical cancer in addition to HIV. He is her sole source of support and both are so grateful that he is able to do so. Asaph demonstrates the grit, determination, and focus one would expect to see in a young man who has moved so quickly upward in his career. 

February 26, 2021 By Michon Garrett Leave a Comment

2021 Spring Appeal: Michelle’s Story

Michelle is a 7th grade student at Jagiet School in Nairobi’s densely populated Kawangware slum-village in the Dagoretti district. Like her fellow students, she spent most of last year in her home unable to attend school for most of the 2020 school year because of the national Covid-19 shutdown. 

Living in the Slums is Challenging

It’s hard for anyone not living here to imagine, but try if you might, to understand Michelle’s story. Michelle wakes up in the predawn hours on a mattress on the floor. Living on the equator, the sun rises and sets the same time everyday. You might think living on the equator means it’s warm outside, but this is Nairobi, Kenya, a place nearly a mile high in elevation. So the nights are cold. 

Michelle’s home is an unheated, single room, lined with thin corrugated iron sheet walls that enclose a slum-typical 12 by 24 foot shared area. A fabric sheet is hung from the ceiling down the middle to create a sense that there are actually two rooms, separating the pubic from the private space. The place is packed with storage bins containing clothing, bedding, bulk food stuffs, water jugs, cookware, dishes, and some collectables that were brought from better times living in the country before the famines drove them to a place less isolated and desolate. The tightly packed quarters are organized but to a visitor it feels extremely cluttered, with only a narrow path to twist through. 

The concrete slab floor has rugs strewn about to soften the surface. Michelle’s home has electricity, something not everyone living in the slums can access. There is no plumbing, no running water. Michelle pours water from a 20 liter jerry can or jug that was purchased for 10 Kenyan Shillings (about 10 cents, USD) and carried home earlier in the week. To make morning tea she pours water into a pan to heat on a kerosene or charcoal jiko stove. She uses some of it to wash. The compound’s outhouse, just a hole in the ground in a small enclosure, serves several families. Michelle’s home is among so many more, lined up side-by-side-by-side in gated neighborhood compounds. Living on about $2 (U.S. dollars) a day, more than 100,000 people live like this in the Kawangware slum. 

Typically, Michelle would walk thirty minutes to school each morning. Her walk starts off chilly, as she starts of with her backpack strapped on and the school uniform sweater pulled down over her knuckles. Michelle’s first steps begin with shivers but her fast pace quickly warms her. The walk begins in the dark. As the orange sun quickly rises, the clay dirt street dust is whipped up from the bustling foot, car, truck and bus traffic, joining a smog you can almost taste. Michelle’s commute takes her from the dirt paths of her neighborhood, through the noisy streets, and eventually to the relatively pastoral setting of Jagiet School. The frantic noise of the morning’s urban hustle and bustle flips to the welcoming sounds of roosters crowing, footsteps shuffling, and children giggling. 

At this same time, Michelle’s mother would be setting off to purchase fresh vegetables from the wholesale lot for the day, and then sell them from her small kiosk in the neighborhood. 

COVID-19 Changed Everything in 2020

The pandemic changed everything, suddenly and dramatically. The Kenyan government took swift action upon the onset of the spreading Covid-19. There were no half measures. All schools closed. Almost all businesses closed, and those remaining open had very restricted hours. Transit systems were shut down. Those who worked in service and retail industries, which make up the vast majority of Kawangware residents, no longer had jobs nor income. Michelle, like everyone, stayed home socially distanced from friends and classmates. Michelle’s mother’s retail business struggled because vegetables were no longer being regularly shipped to wholesalers, and the loss of jobs meant people in the neighborhood could not buy food for their families. Michelle’s older sister who has a young child lost her service job and moved back in with Michelle and her mom. The family restricted their movements and stayed close to home. 

Michelle had a limited ability to maintain her studies through distance learning administered through the school and organized by Ngong Road Children’s Foundation. She was able to pick up and drop off school lessons, materials and assignments using social distance practices. Her family also received the critical Food from Friends support, keeping her family nutritionally supported. These past months were a challenge, but Michelle and her family remain well and safe from the pandemic. Phenomenally, much of the Kenyan population has escaped contamination from Covid-19. 

2021 is Spring Forward, No Summer Break Ahead

Starting in January, schools reopened with protective protocols in place. There remain concerns about the potential for the Covid “variant’ disease to reach Kenya and spread. So precautions going forward are critical. Michelle has her uniform and masks, and as of January has begun a new routine of returning to Jagiet School each day. Ngong Road Children’s Foundation senior case manager Tunda reports that the family is managing as they hope for even better days ahead. 

Going forward, challenges are ahead. With the loss of a school year, the government’s plan is to compress the education schedule for the next two years. In 2021, Michelle and her fellow students will be attending four semesters in the usual three-semester year. The traditional month-long August break is cancelled. School will go straight through from January to December 2021. And, that schedule is planned to be repeated next year.

Michelle’s mother remains hopeful. She believes in her daughter’s commitment to education, and she feels more assured because their home has electricity and Michelle is, therefore, able to study even at night. 

Michelle and her family wish to express that they are very grateful for the support of her sponsors, donors and the generosity of Friends of Ngong Road. The 2021 Spring Appeal is critical to maintaining support during this important time for them and others. 

Donate to the Spring Appeal

August 26, 2020 By Michon Garrett Leave a Comment

Rodney: His Story

By: Case Manager Mary Muriu

Listen to the full interview at:
https://illumini.podbean.com/

Rodney lives with his mother, brother, and nephew in the Kawangware slum of Nairobi. The family lives in a one room house made of iron sheets and timber. He joined High School this year and has been living at home since the pandemic hit and schools closed in March. His mother’s previous job was selling firewood to the slum dwellers but stopped due to a lack of buyers as many people are struggling in the slums as a result of the pandemic. In mid-June, the family was evicted due to rent arrears amounting to KES 6000 (USD $60). Their belongings were locked in the house and they had to leave everything behind with only the clothes they had on.

After they were evicted, the family went to live with a relative who lived nearby. They bought them clothes and offered them shelter as they tried to make enough money to pay what they owed for the rent.

Rodney’s mother found work washing clothes for income, but it didn’t produce much income. Yet, the little cash earned was used to offset rent arrears. Thankfully, after a month of staying with the relative, the landlord agreed to open the house and the family happily returned to their home. During this challenging time, the NRCF program provided food aid and supported Rodney with school revision materials. 

We appreciate sponsors for continued support for families like Rodney’s and the many others that are experiencing hardship during this time. 

Mary Muriu
Senior Case Manager
Ngong Road Children’s Foundation

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

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