In December 2017 we launched a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Program with the generosity of several U.S. donors and support of Tulane University. SRH is based on a youth peer provider model created by Tulane University as the best practice for our students. Fourteen students were trained by Planned Parenthood Global to be Youth Peer Providers of the SRH Program. After the training, 8 students were selected to conduct peer training (two-year commitment) due to their mastery of the materials and effective communications skills. Since December 2017, the Youth Peer Providers have trained approximately 70% of the students in seventh grade through post-secondary school. The remaining students are to receive training in December 2018, April 2019 and/or August 2019.

Excellent Preliminary Results
In its first year, the most positive outcome of the SRH program is that only one young woman became pregnant in the past year compared to seven in the previous year. Fortunately, she was close enough to her post-secondary graduation that it did not derail her education. While this is just one year’s data, we’re hopeful that we’re on the right track by providing facts and resources in an effective manner.

Continued Tulane University Support
We have continued to receive support from Tulane University for the program. Last summer, a Tulane student spent the summer in Nairobi evaluating the program under the supervision of Dr. Patty Kissinger, a professor and researcher at the Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She made several important recommendations, such as:

• Helping students become more likely to access medical care by scheduling tours of the partnered clinic and bringing healthcare professionals from the clinic to the training sessions.
• Making the educational material available to students online.
• Providing more training for Youth Peer Providers on SRH topics and skills such as presenting and handling difficult conversations.
• Educating parents and guardians on the importance of the training to create further buy-in from the Kenyan community.

Going forward, we will be implementing Tulane’s recommendations, doing a refresher training in January 2019 with the Youth Peer Providers, recruiting future Youth Peer Providers, and training the remaining 30% of students who did not receive training in year one.

Pioneering Sex Education
Sex education in Kenya is spotty and there are many beliefs that must be dispelled, such as that condoms cause cancer or using contraception will make it impossible for a woman to ever conceive a baby. Having access to factual information about their bodies and access to contraception is something our students in Kenya need to stop the cycle of early pregnancy.

We are excited about the results of the first year and believe it to be critical for all students’ success in the future. If you are interested in helping to fund this program in 2019 and beyond, please contact Lacey Kraft at lacey@ngongroad.org or 612-568-4211.

This fall we were thrilled to welcome Joy Obiya and George Odhiambo to the US as representatives of the staff and students in the program in Kenya.

Joy Obiya
Joy is the head of the post-secondary department and has been a caseworker with us for four years. It was wonderful for Joy to be able to meet with so many sponsors and donors, as well as spend time with our US-based staff especially since we have a growing number of students entering and completing post-secondary. Joy was able to give us a better understanding of the post-secondary environment in Kenya, and was able to help sponsors understand what to expect when their students graduate from High School. In addition to being the head of the post-secondary department, Joy has also taken on the responsibility of running the sexual and reproductive health program, and has helped to develop each individual student’s plan for success following their high school graduation.

George Odhiambo
George is unique in many ways, but most especially to us because he is a beneficiary of the program in addition to being a caseworker with our program. After joining the program in 2007, George went on to successfully earn his diploma in Community Development at Kenyatta University. This diploma and his history made him a great fit as a primary caseworker in our program. George has an excellent ability to connect with the youngest students and help them feel supported. Having him her

e in the U.S. gave sponsors and donors a unique perspective into the life of a student in the program and we all heard and saw first hand how the experience can change a student’s life for the better.

A Busy Schedule
During their time in the US, George and Joy traveled throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Texas and the east coast meeting with sponsors and donors as well as giving presentations to churches, school teachers, friends and family, and of course at our Annual Gathering. They were also able to meet individually with some sponsors and donors and give unique insight regarding the students they sponsor. In addition to these meetings, George and Joy were able to experience a small part of what it’s like to live in the midwest –they attended a fall festival/corn maze, went shopping at the Mall of America, and tried lots of new foods. In addition, they had lots of opportunities for professional development both with our U.S. staff and board members and by meeting with other professional groups and individuals to gain insight and experience.

Building Connections, First Experiences
As some of you know, the trip from Nairobi to Minnesota is a long one, and we are thrilled that George and Joy were able to take advantage of this opportunity to grow as caseworkers, and to help our organization grow and foster new connections. This was George’s first time on a plane, and first trip out of Kenya, and Joy’s first trip out of Africa. For those of you who met with George and Joy during their time here, thank you for spending time with them and for allowing them to share their perspectives with you.

This holiday season, we give thanks for the 93 percent of our post-secondary graduates who have secured a job or internship following graduation. Here are photos and job titles of some students who are starting to transform their lives. They graduated from our post-secondary program and have since gained experience in a job or internship.

We are so proud of these students! But there is more work to do. Just over $40,000 of our $65,000 Ted and Kathy Truscott Annual Appeal Match has been met. Help us meet our match so we can continue providing this exceptional program for students.

George Odhiambo, a program graduate and now a caseworker for the program, says he “sees peers from his childhood in the slums without work. Many are wrapped up in drugs or have unplanned pregnancies at a young age.” But George has a job and a bright future. Your support has meant the world to him.

Help us meet the Annual Appeal Match today by donating at www.ngongroad.org/donate or by sending a check to P.O. Box 581308, Minneapolis, MN 55458. Donating your gift in honor of a loved one can make for a meaningful holiday gift.

If you have already given to the Annual Appeal Match, we thank you! Together we can keep making a difference for kids in Kenya.

Happy holidays to you and yours,

Lacey Kraft
Development Director

Fantastic Grade 8 Exam Results Received
The end of the calendar year is also the end of the school year for our students in Kenya. For those completing eighth grade, this can be an especially taxing time as they take their KCPE (Kenyan Certificate of Primary Education) exams. These exams take a number of days to complete and involve comprehensive testing of all their primary education studies. KCPE results determine what type of high school the student will be accepted into. The maximum score a student can achieve is 500 points, They are tested on the subjects of English, Swahili, Math, Science, and Social/Religious Studies – each subject being worth 100 points to make the 500 point total.

Broke the 400 Point Ceiling!
This year, one of our students, John Githui, has set a new NRCA record by scoring 409 points! This is compared to the best score in the entire country of 453. Only about 1% of students in Kenya score above 400 on the KCPE. Some of our other top scoring students include: Levy Otieno, Boaz Marube, Peter Leon, Latifah Njeri, and Angela Arina. Only two of our students who took the exam this year scored below the national average of 251, with more than 65% of our students scoring between 300-400 points. Our students accomplished an average score of 313.

A Great Accomplishment
We are immensely proud of these students, their caseworkers, and their sponsors for helping them to achieve such high marks. These scores will result in the students being accepted to more prestigious high schools, therefore paving the way for their post-secondary and life-long success. We are looking forward to future years of high KCPE scores and to seeing what these students are able to achieve!

Joy Obiya and George Odhiambo from Kenya Visiting U.S. in late October

We are delighted to welcome two Ngong Road Children Association case workers, Joy and George to the U.S. in late October.  

• Joy serves as head of the Post-Secondary and Alumni Department.  Her team helps recent high school graduates find a post-secondary program that matches their academic performance and interests; when they have finished their studies her team helps them find jobs. The program now has 83 students in post-secondary programs and 33 alumni.
• George is a caseworker with our primary-aged students and our first visitor who is a graduate of the program.  George joined the program in 2007, finished high school in 2013 and then completed a 2-year diploma in Community Development.  When he graduated, Ngong Road Children Association had a caseworker opening and George got the job.

Employment Results.  We have had 30 students complete post-secondary programs, and 28 of the 30, or 93%, secured a job or internship following graduation.  Many more will graduate in the coming months. We hope that with the support of our alumni caseworker, local board, and new life skills program that they will get jobs soon.  We already have some wonderful stories:

Etrose Adhiambo finished high school with an “E” which technically means she didn’t graduate.  However, she has been employed for the past year as a hostess in a cafeteria where government employees eat.  She is happy with her job and is able to help support her mother. Etrose did not complete any post-secondary education, but has become a responsible, contributing member of society.

Asaph Waweru finished a two-year diploma in Sales/Marketing.  While in college, Asaph sold t-shirts to help fund his schooling. When he completed his diploma, Karibu Loo hired him as a Marketing Assistant where he was responsible for booking loo rentals, managing social media and generally supporting sales efforts.  In late June, Asaph resigned from Karibu Loo having secured a better-paying job at Patialla Distillers. Karibu Loo was sorry to lose him, but happy that his career is now launched.

Gabriella Emma Atieno finished her two-year diploma in Information Technology.  She now serves as a Customer Sales Representative for Techno Brain, explaining company products and services to customers.