As we begin 2019, I believe that Friends of Ngong Road and our sister organization in Nairobi are turning a corner in three ways:  

1. The program is delivering results in young lives transformed by education and employment;
2. Ngong Road Children Association in Nairobi is a dramatically more mature, effective organization than it has ever been; and
3. Friends of Ngong Road is poised to move to the next level.

We began working with the first group of children in Nairobi’s Dagoretti slums in late 2006 – twelve years ago.  That first group of sixty children are now young adults. Among the early classes of students who have successfully navigated the entire program, including Primary, Secondary and Post-Secondary schooling, 93% today have jobs or are in internships we believe will lead to employment.  In the 2012 NRCA Plan, we dramatically strengthened our criteria for admission to the program. We expect as these later classes of students complete their education, more and more will be eligible for government scholarships in post-secondary colleges and universities. And, we have built programs designed to bolster success through Sexual & Reproductive Health training and Life Skills training.  We are optimistic that the formula we have created will continue to work. You can learn more about the jobs our graduates have gotten from the poster below.

In 2016 the organization in Nairobi was roiled by embezzlement by the Kenyan Executive Director.  We have successfully remade our Kenyan operations by outsourcing financial management to a professional firm, recruiting a very competent Kenyan board of directors to provide local oversight and strengthening Friends of Ngong Road’s role in financial oversight and control.  Our leaders in Kenya, including the board and the new Program Director, are creating a professional, well-run Kenyan organization.

Finally, Friends of Ngong Road completed a strategic plan that includes replacement of my volunteer-President role to that of a new, paid Executive Director and transition of our joint organizations to one that can support even more children in the future.  More than 550 children have been affected by this program, and while a few have moved away or gotten derailed, many have become young adults with bright futures. There is much work to be done to continue to deliver on our mission. Above all, I am most deeply appreciative of you – our sponsors, donors and supporters who have made this work possible.

In gratitude,

Paula Meyer
Founder and President

Ngong Road Children Association (NRCA) contracted with Success Signature to facilitate the Life Skills Training Program (LSTP) made possible by a Rotary Global Grant led by the South Metro Minneapolis Evenings (SMME) Rotary Club and the Kikuyu Rotary Club of Kenya. The aim of LSTP is to develop self-awareness in both secondary and post-secondary students by training them on carefully selected and essential skills that will aid in their life success. The training curriculum was developed by US volunteers Meghan and Evan Feige and tested in Kenya in early 2017 with December 2016 Form 4 finishers (high school graduates).

The first phase of training was officially launched on November 8th, 2018 at the Lutheran Church, Ngong Road and lasted three weeks. In attendance were 94 students from Form 2 through Form 4, 2017 (grades 10 through 12), NRCA staff, parents/guardians representatives, Rotary Club of Kikuyu representatives and Success Signature (SS) staff. Bus fare and meals were provided to all students to ensure they could attend.

The launch brought all the stakeholders together for the introduction to the program. NRCA staff provided the background of the LSTP and the intended benefits to the students. Students got a chance to meet the facilitators, while Success Signature staff provided an overview of the program including the topics, timetable, expectations, rules, and regulations governing the program, and completion of pre-training evaluation of each student.

The Lutheran Church, Ngong Road is located next to the NRCA offices and was both convenient and adequate in terms of space and facilities. The training program ran daily from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The following topics were covered with all three Forms: communication, conflict management, critical thinking, stress management, leadership, emotional intelligence, personality type, Who Am I? (personal branding), essential skills- time management, money management, study skills, and technology.

Both NRCA and SS staff were clear about the level of discipline needed from all the students and this yielded great results. Students were encouraged to participate by awarding the three most valuable, active students each day. Each student was given a token of Kes. 200 (USD $2) by the facilitator. This worked miraculously well and created very healthy competition and a lot of fun. Students were also always reminded to respect everybody’s contribution while learning. Learning was fun for all.

At the end of each day the facilitators would always ask students to speak out feedback based on these questions:

1. What three things did you learn today?
2. How will you apply them in your life beginning today?

Forms 2 and 3 offered written feedback by completing a simple questionnaire. All the feedback per Form was collated and consolidated and the results are good. Quotes from the students:

• “This program has really benefited me as I have a better understanding of WHO I AM and hope it will continue to benefit more students.
• “When angry, I conflicted with anyone I came across, blaming them yet I was the problem. I have now learnt to manage my emotions as well as understand other people’s emotions.”
• “I have been in conflict with my father since I did not like to be directed, after the conflict management training, I was able to approach my father and it is after a long time that we sat as a family and laughed together. I am very happy to be in a good relationship with my father”.
• “I spent a lot of time on social media and I will now use my time well and research constructive things”.

The success of the LSTP can be attributed to the development of the curriculum by Meghan and Evan, NRCA provision of bus fare and meals, adequate preparation by all the parties involved, effective teamwork, constant communication to review and ensure on track status and passion and commitment from all the parties.

We hope that our students are going to take full advantage of this opportunity.

A big thank you to Megan and Evan, Rotary International, FoNR and Success Signature for making the program possible.

Asante Sana,

Maureen Mulevi
Programme Director

Are you over 70 ½? Consider using your individual retirement account (IRA) to make a gift to Friends of Ngong Road. The Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) provision allows individuals of at least 70 ½ years of age to distribute funds from an individual retirement account (IRA) to a qualifying charity without the transfer qualifying as income.

Several of our donors have used this provision to contribute to Friends of Ngong Road in a tax-advantaged way. Consult your financial advisor or the financial institution that holds your IRA to learn if this is appropriate for you and to find out what special processing is required to make a QCD.

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.