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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Elimu Hub is open!

Elimu Hub opened on May 18! 

“Elimu” means “education” in Swahili, and Elimu Hub is the center of learning activities, resources, and the community. Elimu Hub is on the Ngong Road Children’s Foundation campus, adjacent to the administrative building of our offices in Nairobi. It is surrounded by a secure wall that embraces students with a sense of protection and safety in an unstable and sometimes dangerous neighborhood. Elimu Hub houses our upgraded computer lab and expanded library.

The library is an important resource center for our students as most of them are in school. Besides the books we have acquired through the years, Braeburn School donated more books that will be beneficial to our students. With this gift, we now have more books for our growing community. All this will help us to ensure that our students achieve their academic goals.

The computer lab will be helpful for our students as a tool in their education. Primary-age students from Nelson Mandela Academy take computer classes at the computer lab during the week.  Students from other primary schools take classes on Saturdays before they attend the Saturday Program.  Recent High School graduates will take their Computer classes at the computer lab taught by Belmont College. At the end of the course, they are issued a certificate that makes them marketable in the job market.

We have never before had a purpose-built structure. The new Elimu Hub was built using recycled 20-foot shipping containers, three up and three on the main level. They have been transformed into a fun, and useful building. Its completion was highly anticipated knowing its launch would bring about positive changes for our students and staff. 

Our launch ceremony had representatives from the organizations who made Elimu Hub possible. Representatives from the Rotary Club of Kikuyu, Braeburn School, and Container 254 attended. Though not present, the Rotary Club of South Minneapolis Evenings and Friends of Ngong Road were recognized. The event consisted of performances from our students who presented poems and dances. We even had a taekwondo performance. 

Kelvin Thuku, our program manager, appreciated the growth of Elimu Hub, from the idea to the implementation stage and finally its unveiling. He regards it as one of the biggest achievements of the organization. He also thanked the partners for their support during the whole process of construction and completion of the project. The president of the Rotary Club of Kikuyu, Ann Ichung’wa, officially launched the Elimu Hub making it ready for use by our students.

We extend our utmost gratitude to our partner organizations and all of you that contributed to our Elimu Hub campaign This project would never have happened without your support. Thank you for helping us in the process of transforming the lives of our students.   

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Changes to the Kenyan School System

Kenya was a British colony until it gained independence in 1963. After independence, many colonial influences persisted in the country, including the old British educational system (long abandoned in Britain). This system is test-based with key examinations that take place at the end of each academic term and then at the end of the equivalent of 8th grade and 12th grade. Students’ scores on these tests determine what secondary and post-secondary school they can attend and the type of job they can get. Teaching in Kenya has almost exclusively revolved around preparing students to take these exams as their entire future hinges on how they score.  The movie “A Small Act” portrays the terrible pressure students feel to succeed in this system.  

The advantage of a test-based system for Kenyan educators is that it is easy for the government to determine where students are able to continue their schooling. For example, if a student scores above 400, they go to a quality government school, or below 250 they go to a trade school. There are however many disadvantages to the test-based system. It rewards students who can memorize the material but it doesn’t encourage any analytical thinking skills. Students are taught not to question the teacher but only to learn what the teacher tells them must be learned. For students who are not good at memorizing, they are viewed as not bright and this reduces their access to a life with better opportunities. Many students are not successful in this system.

Kenyan educators clearly understand some of the downsides to the old British system and the country is now transitioning to a Competency-Based Curriculum. This new educational system will teach students more analytical, critical thinking, as well as practical skills.  There will be many challenges with such a large systemic change, they will be transitioning for the next decade at a minimum.  Few teachers in Kenya have experienced any other system, so to train teachers on how to teach in an entirely different way will be a monumental hill to climb. In addition, this will require the curriculum to be changed at every level and current high school and post-secondary placement processes will need to be redesigned. Our Case Managers in Kenya are staying up to date on the upcoming changes to anticipate needs, and to understand the organizational impact required to support students through the changes.

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COVID-19 Update

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create havoc globally, positivity rates in Kenya continue to rise and fall in multiple waves. President Uhuru Kenyatta refers to this pattern as a “’containment seesaw.”

Like other countries, Kenya is trying to manage the Delta variant. Within the slums of Nairobi, poor sanitation and overcrowded living conditions make social distancing impossible.  Positivity rates rise and fall causing constant uncertainty which has brought about a renewed survival instinct in the Kenyan population.

The Kenya Government and the Ministry of Health have instituted measures such as wearing masks outside of private homes to mitigate the spread of the variant and shorten the next wave.  A COVID-19 vaccine return to work policy for all civil servants has been implemented. Individuals in the government employ are required to be vaccinated so they can resume work physically and improve service delivery.  The Kenyan military is required to get vaccinated, or they will not be paid. 

It’s been 17 months since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Kenya. One year later, in March 2021, Kenya rolled out a National Vaccine Deployment Plan to inoculate 10 million adults by June 2022 and 16 million by June 20, 2023.  At the end of September, 4.5M doses will have been administered. However, this is a small dent in the approximately 40 million people aged 12 and over.  It is slow due to limited vaccine availability and challenges with reaching the people in rural areas with the road system in poor condition.

At NRCF, we are adopting a similar policy due to our work which involves interaction with students, families, donors, and other stakeholders. We are pleased that progress is being made as 75% have at least the first dose, most with the AstraZeneca vaccine. It’s our goal to have all staff fully vaccinated by year-end.  Fortunately we have had only one student and three alumni be diagnosed with COVID-19.  Two of those alumni work at Karibu Loo.  The student and three alumni have all recovered.

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Karibu Loo Corner

Business update 

WIth the emergence of COVID-19 vaccines and with much of the world gradually lifting lockdown and restrictions, the Kenyan economy had started to gain traction. We were hopeful that 2021 business performance would improve, but in March 2021 a second COVID wave came and  restrictions were re-imposed. As a result, business declined in April and May as many event planners and companies canceled events.

One major trend since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and leading into 2021 is increase of long-term rentals.  These are mostly construction  companies which have continued operating and renting loos throughout the downturn. This has enabled Karibu Loo to survive during the pandemic.    

Digital Marketing Campaign 

While business was challenging in 2020, it was critical to prepare for the future. To set ourselves up for success, we launched a digital marketing campaign to raise awareness and generate new sales. We believe once we have fully implemented this online marketing campaign, it will yield results in both the short term and the future, post COVID-19.

The campaign is being managed in Kenya with help of U.S. digital marketing volunteers. With the easing of COVID restrictions and our digital marketing campaign starting, business has begun to pick up in June. July looks promising. 

The campaign continues using humor. Our Chief Creative Volunteer, Steve Kotvis, has developed Google Search ads like: 

“Today’s my wedding day, when I say “I do”,  don’t forget Karibu Loo”

“Count on your crew, Gotta go #1, Gotta go #2. Remove the phew, call Karibu Loo”.

We monitor response rates and poor performing ads are eliminated and replaced with new ones. 

The number of people calling and emailing to enquire about our services and pricing rates has been increasing, and sales are improving. 

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Congrats, Grads!

Shout out to our 2020 graduates. This year we had 17 students graduate from primary school to high school. We had 25 students graduate from secondary to post-secondary.

A ‘handover’ ceremony involving students, parents, and NRCF staff took place on May 28. This ceremony celebrates student achievement and orientates the students to the next level of education.

The primary school ceremony includes a highlight of expected changes in high school since primary life is usually different as primary school students are usually enrolled in day schools while high school students are in boarding schools. Students are also coached on handling negative peer influence which is common in high school. The students are required to sign the secondary commitment agreement which defines the expectations of both the parents and students to continue being supported in their education.

The secondary graduation ceremony included a highlight of the post-secondary education requirements and expectations. At this level students are required to take initiative for their education and career goals. Students are advised on the scholarship opportunities for various levels of education (Certificate, Diploma and Degree options) based on their performance on their KCSE (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education) exam. The staff educates graduates on the importance of a post-secondary education as it increases their chances of getting meaningful employment in Kenya. The students are required to sign a post-secondary contract and code of conduct if they wish to continue with their education.