Friends of Ngong Road

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

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Coding partnership with DirectEd Development Foundation

Ngong road children’s foundation

The world has now fully digitalized, and computer literacy has become the norm. We have slowly moved from basic computer skills and ushered in the computer programming era. We want to make sure that as our students transition to higher education, they can be able to get this much-needed skill. 

In our quest to achieve the above, we recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding and forged a partnership with DirectEd Development Foundation. DirectEd is a UK-based charitable organization on a mission to deliver evidence-based, highly scalable, and cost-effective coding boot camps and scholarships to under-resourced high-potential students in Africa, through the use of blockchain technology and decentralized identifiers. They so far have partnered with different top learning institutions in Kenya and Ethiopia. Some of the institutions in Kenya include Kagumo high school, Mang’u high school, and Maryhill girls high school. We are excited to be part of this partnership.

In this partnership, DirectEd tutors will offer our 2022 high school graduates a three-part program. The program have repackaged existing material into a structure that suits low-resource hybrid-learning settings. The 1-week mobile-based coding course is the first program.

This particular programme is based on open-source material from Harvard’s CS50 introduction to Python. It is done remotely which means that the students will make use of their phones and we will allow those who do not have access to a smartphone to come to the Elimu Hub. They can make use of the resources available in the computer lab. The team from DirectEd will also help the students to set up the necessary infrastructure for the stipend disbursement.

The second programme which is the main programme is a 12-week computer-based hybrid programme. Here, students will learn full-stack web development in the MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node) framework. This programme will also feature some guest lecturers hosting workshops on key soft skills such as acing job interviews and entrepreneurship, with the students studying for at least 40 hours a week. Lastly, the graduate programme. This programme is for students who will have successfully completed the coding programme, and it has two paths. One, entry into a longer full-time coding bootcamp or two, a 6-months internship with specialization in a particular skill while getting real-work experience with DirectEd’s tech partner companies.

For all the 3 programs, our students need to have attained a specific threshold to move to the next. We will utilize ICT personnel to assist our students in maximizing their chances of advancing to the graduate program. Profound thankfulness to DirectEd Development Foundation for this life-changing partnership for our students. Grateful to the people at Lido Nation, particularly Stephanie King, for being a central part of connecting us with them. We are excited to see our students transform their lives.  

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Asumpta’s educational journey

My name is Asumpta. I live with my mother, and my younger brother. I got the opportunity to join Ngong Road Children’s Foundation, and my educational journey took a positive path.

I joined the NRCF program when I was in grade 3 after successfully passing my interview. I then joined one of the program’s focus schools. I sat for my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and scored good grades to join high school. At the beginning of this year, I joined a girls high school, a county-level girls’ high school in Makueni County. 

So far, I have loved being a student at the school. I spend my free time in the computer lab doing my assignments or carrying out my personal studies and research. I also joined the journalism club because I would want to take a journalism course once I get into college. My role model in the journalism industry is Lulu Hassan, a Kenyan journalist and news anchor at Citizen TV. I also got the chance to interact with one of the program’s alumna, Sallyanne, who graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. She really inspired me because she not only successfully completed the journalism program, but also graduated with first-class honors. She also gave me a few tips on how to prepare myself for the course.

I am grateful to the NRCF program for giving me the chance to pursue my academic ambitions and to my sponsor for always ensuring that everything I need in school is catered for. I want to one day be able to give back to the program by sponsoring a child to enable them to transform their lives as well.

To sponsor and transform a child’s life, visit https://ngongroad.org/sponsor/

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The success story of Nickson

My name is Nickson and I am a Ngong Road Children’s Foundation program alumni. The NRCF program initiative quickly spread in my neighborhood, and my mother heard of it. She immediately applied, and I was fortunate enough to get a slot.

Upon joining the program, I was admitted to one of their focus elementary schools. After completing my primary education, I attended Dr. Ribeiro Parklands Boys High School in When I was at Parklands High, I engaged myself in co-curricular activities that kept me active all through. I was not only participating in one sport but in three. I was playing rugby, which is my favorite sport, as well as football and handball. When I was in fourth grade, I knew that I wanted to take a course in hospitality when I joined college, as I had an interest in cooking and preparing different drinks.

I completed my high school education and enrolled at Zetech University to take a certificate course in food and beverage production. I loved the course, would often practice cooking at home. I graduated in December 2022 and became a certified chef.

Last year TechMates program piqued my interest in learning a new skill. I did an interview, which was successful, and was accepted as an intern for the March program. I took the digital marketing path, and I immediately started taking the courses outlined by the program for that path. 

After the internship, which lasts 3 months, I am aiming to transition into a digital marketing freelancer by June’s end. Once in a while, during the weekends, I work as a chef at the restaurant at Tangaza University in Bomas. I also work as a Karibu loo associate. As a Karibu loo associate, I maintain clean portable toilets and manage the handwash area.

Aiming to start a restaurant and utilize TechMates program skills for marketing and growth. I am extremely grateful to the program for not only taking me through my education but also for the opportunity to join the TechMates program and for making it possible for me to learn a new skill.

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Computer Training Program for our 2022 high school graduates

Computer literacy has evolved into an essential skill in the current digital age for a variety of tasks. However, to fully leverage the benefits of these packages, it is important to have the necessary training and skills. That is where the computer packages training comes in and that is why we offer this training package. Colleges and universities require some level of computer literacy and we want to ensure that as our high school graduates transition to higher learning institutions, they are well-equipped.

Belmont International College conducts training in NRCF computer lab at Elimu Hub. Training begins this month and lasts for three months, starting at 8 am and ending in the afternoon.. Some packages offered are Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, publisher, internet, and email. Students undergo training and take two exams: one from Belmont International College and the other from Kenya National Examinations Council.

In addition, the NRCF program’s ICT department is holding a web development boot camp for these students. Our lab instructor conducts this training, which runs concurrently with the training for computer packages. This training covers basic HTML, CSS, and Javascript programs and a WordPress introduction. Students are able to build professional portfolios to advertise, showcase abilities, and learn website building skills.

We also look forward to partnering with DirectEd and signing a Memorandum of Understanding. Directed is a UK-based charitable organization on a mission to deliver coding programs and scholarships to under-resourced high-potential students between high school and university in Africa. By signing this partnership, the students will additionally have a 1-week introductory coding course including a remote Python course.

As the students learn these skills, they will also get time to conduct their career research as they look forward to settling for their desired courses. We are confident that they will benefit from these programs and apply the skills they gain in their courses.  

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The Aspiring “A” Student

My name is Michael, I consider myself to be a highly ambitious student. I reside in Nairobi with my mother and four siblings. I was attending a local school, St. Joseph of Tarpes, before joining the program.

Immediately I enrolled in one of the program’s focus schools, where I took my Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and achieved above-average performance. I was the top performer in my school and one of the top five performers in the NRCF program.

This achievement earned me a spot at top performing high school in Siaya County, an extra-county-level boarding boys’ high school. They have dubbed the institution “the gentlemen’s school.”

This is because of its reputation for producing moral and visionary leaders like Prof. John Lonyangapuo, the governor of West Pokot County, and the late Tom Mboya, a freedom warrior, among others. In January 2020, I began at the school. In my final year of high school, I have diligently worked to maintain a high grade point average.. I’ve been the school captain since I was in my third year. I am the president of various clubs, including mathematics, science and engineering, and modern dance.

Aiming to get an “A” on my final high school exams. I want to be the top student in the program as well as among the top students in my school. I’d want to attend the University of Nairobi and study chemical engineering, which would allow me to create and construct chemical manufacturing processes, or human pathology, which is the study of the causes and consequences of diseases or injuries on the human body.

Delighted to be a part of the program! I would like to express my gratitude to my sponsor for supporting me through this educational experience. I want to be a successful alumnus who gives back to the program so that other students may benefit from the same high-quality education I have received.